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*  *****  t  ****  ************* 
Itheological  seminary,  J 

J  Princeton,  N.  J.  Z  ' 

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*  From  the  PUBLISHER.  * 

BX  5037   .R653  1846 
Romaine,  William,  1714-1795 
Letters  on  the  most 
important  subjects,  during 


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LETTEES 


ON  THE 

MOST   IMPORTANT  SUBJECTS, 

DURING  A 

CORRESPONDENCE  OF  TWENTY  YEARS. 

BY  THE  LATE 

y 

REV.  WILLIAM  ROMAINE,  A.M., 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  "  LIFE,   WALK  AND  TRIUMPH  OF  FAITH." 

PUBLISHED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  MANUSCRIPTS, 

BY 

THOMAS  WILLS,  A.B., 

MINISTER  OF  SILVER  STREET  CHAPEL,  AND  FORMERLY  OF  MAG- 
DALEN  HALL,  OXFORD. 


FROM    THE    FIFTH    LONDON  EDITION. 


NEW  YORK: 
ROBERT  CARTER,  58  CANAL  STREET, 

AND   PITTSBURG  56  MARKET  ST. 


1846. 


O.   JENKINS,  PRINTER, 

114  Nassau  street. 


PREFACE. 


The  following  Letters,  it  is  presumed,  need  no  confirma- 
tion of  their  authenticity,  nor  any  recommendation  of  their 
invaluable  contents,  to  those  who  knew  and  esteemed  their 
late  excellent  Author.  The  manner  and  style,  almost  pe- 
culiar to  himself,  of  making  Christ  the  All  in  All,  in  the 
glory  of  his  person,  the  efficacy  of  his  blood  and  righteous- 
ness, and  the  fullness  of  his  salvation,  proclaim  aloud  that 
these  were  written  by  no  other  than  Mr.  Romaine  :  they 
prove  also,  to  a  demonstration,  that  Jesus  was  his  darling 
theme,  in  his  closet  as  well  as  his  pulpit,  in  his  private  cor- 
respondence as  in  his  public  discourses  ;  nor,  indeed,  was 
this  holy  man  of  God  ever  in  his  element,  but  when  he 
was  making  mention  of  his  Divine  Master's  name  and 
righteousness  only,  of  which  it  might  be  literally  said  he 
knew  no  end. 

The  Editor  pledges  himself  to  the  public  that  these 
letters  are  faithfully  printed  from  the  originals  in  the  hand- 
writing of  their  venerable  Author  ;  and  he  flatters  himself 
he  is  bringing  glory  to  his  adorable  Lord,  as  well  as  ren- 
dering an  essential  service  to  the  Church,  by  preserving 


iv  PREFACE. 

this  invaluable  treasure  from  oblivion,  which  God  in  his 
providence  hath  thus  put  into  his  hands,  he  trusts,  for  this 
very  purpose,  and  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  publica- 
tion. Nor  will  his  prayers  be  wanting,  that  every  reader 
of  this  precious  collection  may,  by  the  Divine  blessing, 
reap  the  greatest  benefit  from  its  perusal,  and  have  cause 
to  glorify  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church,  who  had  so 
abundantly  blessed  this  incomparable  minister's  labors  in 
his  life,  for  accompanying  with  the  unction  of  the  Spirit 
these  his  posthumous  letters,  by  which,  though  dead,  he 
yet  speaketh. 

Finally,  he  humbly  hopes  that,  as  the  deceased  blessed 
Author  of  these  epistles  had  treated  the  religious  world  fre- 
quently with  various  other  Treatises  and  Sermons,  the  nov- 
elty of  this  little  work,  sanctioned  too  by  its  own  intrinsic 
excellence,  will  still  render  it  doubly  acceptable  to  the 
Church  of  God  ;  especially  as  everything  is  omitted  of  a 
personal  nature,  respecting  the  friend  to  whom  these  let- 
ters were  immediately  addressed  ;  and  what  is  here  pub- 
lished is  presumed  to  be  of  equal  concern  to  every  other 
individual  believer. 

For  their  service,  therefore,  and  with  this  view,  is  this 
mite  humbly  cast  into  the  Lord's  treasury,  by  a  willing, 
though  unworthy,  servant  of  Christ. 

THE  EDITOR. 


LETTERS 


OF  THE  LATE 

REV.  WILLIAM  ROMAINE,  A.M. 


LETTER  I. 


December  28,  1762. 

My  dear  Friend  : — I  do  not  forget  you 
nor  your  last  favor.  Till  memory  fail  me, 
I  hope,  in  a  grateful  mind,  to  retain  a  sweet 
sense  of  your  kindness  to  me.  Blessed  be 
his  name  !  I  have  a  desire  put  into  my  heart 
by  my  heavenly  lover  to  spread  his  fame 
and  glory  as  far  as  my  tongue  can  reach; 
and  for  what  else  do  I  take  up  my  pen  but 
to  make  mention  of  him,  even  of  Hm  only  ? 
the  favorite  theme  of  his  redeemed  on  earth 
— the  triumph  of  the  same  redeemed,  when 
they  come  to  Sion  with  everlasting  joy  upon 
their  heads  and  in  their  hearts.  My  medita- 
tion of  him  is  now  sweet ;  in  one  single 


6 


LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 


point  of  view  I  am  beholding  him,  and  in 
that  he  is  glorious.  O  that  the  faithful  wit- 
ness of  him  may  give  you  to  feel  what  I 
have  felt  of  his  incarnate  love  !  May  the 
Spirit  glorify  in  your  soul  that  greatest, 
that  standing  miracle  of  Jehovah's  everlast- 
ing grace,  by  letting  you  know,  that  for  you 
a  child  was  born,  for  you  a  son  was  given, 
even  Immanuel  himself— God  with  us,  and 
God  for  us.  I  will  try  to  lead  you,  by  the 
light  of  revelation,  into  some  of  the  wonders 
of  this  transaction,  as  they  have  been  mani- 
fested with  life  and  power  unto  my  own 
heart. 

The  Scripture  is  a  full  description  of  the 
purposes  of  the  Divine  will  from  eternity  to 
eternity.  Therein  we  find  a  council  held, 
before  all  worlds,  between  the  Holy  Trinity, 
and  the  decrees  of  this  council  confirmed  by 
the  covenant  and  oath  of  each  of  the  Divine 
persons.  This  Avas  the  great  contrivance  of 
Heaven,  and  it  lay  in  the  bosom  of  Jehovah 
with  infinite  delight.  He  viewed  it  as  the 
richest  display  of  all  his  Divine  perfections, 
in  which,  and  for  which,  his  glory  would  be 
admired  and  enjoyed  by  his  creatures  for 
ever  and  for  ever.    Immanuel  was  the  cen- 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


7 


tre  of  this  covenant — his  becoming  surety 
for  his  people — taking  flesh  for  them — hving 
and  dying,  that  the  Divine  honors  of  the  holi- 
ness, and  truth,  and  justice  of  the  Godhead 
might  shine  forth  in  full-robed  glory,  for 
showing  mercy  to  poor  sinners. — This  was, 
this  is,  this  will  be  the  eternal  subject  of 
praise.  Hear  how  the  Father  triumphs  in 
the  Son  of  his  love — Behold  my  servant,  whom 
I  uphold — mine  elect,  iti  whom  my  soul  delight- 
eth.  And  again,  with  a  voice  from  heaven, 
This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased.  All  the  councils,  decrees,  and  w^orks 
of  Jehovah  terminate,  yea  begin  and  end,  in 
this  blessed  Immanuel;  and  therefore,  when 
the  angels  were  created,  the  purpose  of  Je- 
hovah's taking  flesh  was  manifested  to  them  ; 
and  proclamation  was  made — Let  all  the  an- 
gels of  God  worship  him.  Pride  arose  in  the 
heart  of  Lucifer  and  his  companions :  their 
will  opposed  the  will  of  the  eternal  Three  in 
this  matter,  for  which  they  were  cast  out  of 
heaven,  and  have  opposed  Christ  and  his 
people  ever  since. 

Then  this  world  was  created  for  the  carry- 
ing into  execution  the  purposes  of  the  ever- 
lasting covenant.     Man,  the  object  of  the 


8 


LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 


Deity's  delight,  as  made  in  the  image  of  God 
—part  of  two  worlds — a  body  of  earth,  an 
immortal  spirit — by  the  one  connected  to 
matter  and  sense,  by  the  other  to  God,  the 
Father  of  spirits.  The  enemy  of  Jesus  at- 
tacked Eve,  and  beguiled  her  through  his 
subtlety.  Adam  was  not  deceived,  but  fell 
by  listening  to  his  material  and  sensual  part. 
He  preferred  his  wife  to  God,  and  so  lost  his 
image,  knowledge,  righteousness,  and  holi- 
ness. 

Upon  this  the  revelation  of  the  covenant 
was  made,  and  the  incarnation  of  Jehovah 
was  made  known  as  the  ground  of  faith  and 
hope,  and  of  return  again  to  God  in  the  way 
of  love  and  gratitude.  As  clear  as  words  can 
speak,  and  signs  declare,  the  promised  seed 
of  the  w  Oman  was  to  attack  Satan,  and  was 
to  bruise  his  head,  w^here  the  poison  lies,  and 
thereby  to  deliver  his  people.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  Father  sent  him  into  the  w^orld,  that 
he  might  deliver  us  from  the  power  of  dark- 
ness, and  translate  us  into  the  kingdom  of 
his  dear  Son.  I  believe,  from  the  evidence 
of  Scripture,  that  Adam,  and  all  believers 
downwards,  had  as  clear  a  view  of  the  incar- 
nation of  Jehovah,  and  of  the  reasons  for  his 


WILLIAM   ROMAINE.  9 

taking  flesh,  as  you  and  I  have  ;  and,  with  as 
warm  hearts  as  we  can,  have  they  rejoiced  in 
the  God  of  their  salvation.  Hear  one  of 
them,  how  he  stands  amazed  at  this  miracle 
of  mercy, — But  will  God,  indeed,  dweU  with 
men  on  the  earth  ?  And  mind  the  pious 
breathings  of  his  holy  father— how  he  longed 
for  Christmas !  0  that  the  salvation  was  come 
unto  Israel  out  of  Sion  !  0  that  the  Lord  would 
deliver  his  people  out  of  captivity  !  Then  shall 
Jacob  rejoice,  and  Israel  shall  be  glad.  That  he 
would  COME,  was  the  ground  of  hope  to  all 
believers  in  every  age  ;  and  there  were  many 
of  them  waiting  when  he  came,  who  blessed 
God  for  letting  them  see  with  their  eyes  his 
great  salvation.  At  the  fixed  moment,  when 
the  fullness  of  time  was  come,  there  was  a 
chosen  vessel  most  graciously  fitted  and  hum- 
bled for  this  miraculous  conception.  She 
was  highly  favored,  high  in  grace,  meek,  and 
lowly  in  heart ;  and  of  her,  by  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  was  that  holy  child  con- 
ceived ;  of  her,  the  virgin  mother,  was  he 
born — a  babe,  helpless  as  we  are.  Here  is 
Love  !  O  what  a  miracle — God  incarnate  ! 
And  yet  like  us  in  all  things — an  infant.  Be 
1* 


10  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

astonished,  ye  heavens!  and  adore,  thou 
earth !  this  miracle  of  miracles  ! 

He  is  born  among  us,  grows  up  as  we  do ; 
a  child,  a  youth,  a  man — true  and  very  man. 
But,  O  the  rapturous  thought !  he  is  Jehovah. 
Think,  O  think  what  that  blessed  w^oman 
felt  when  she  broke  out  into  this  sweet 
hymn — My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord,  and 
my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God,  my  Saviour. 
There's  my  honor — not  that  he  is  my  son, 
but  that  he  is  God,  my  Saviour.  He  took 
my  nature,  that  I  might  take  his  :  he  lived 
for  me,  that  by  his  obedience  I  might  be 
made  righteous :  he  suffered  my  punishment, 
that  I  might  never  suffer  it :  he  bore  my 
curse,  to  redeem  me  from  the  curse  of  the 
law :  he  was  forsaken  of  God  his  father,  that 
I  might  never  be  forsaken  :  he  died  to  give 
me  life :  he  rose  again,  to  take  possession  of 
life  for  me :  he  ascended  in  our  nature,  and 
is  glorified  in  it.  What  he  has,  I  shall  have  : 
his  honors,  his  crown  and  dignity,  his  fullness 
of  joy  and  bliss — all,  all  are  mine  :  what  he 
is,  what  he  was,  is  for  me  :  for  he  is  God,  my 
Saviour.  Happy,  thrice  happy  Mary,  virgin 
mother !     Yea,  happy,  thrice  happy,  too. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


11 


Mrs.  Is  not  the  new-born  king  your 

king  ?  Is  not  the  child  Jesus  your  God  ?  He  is, 
he  is;  you  cannot  deny  it.  O  come,  then,  my 
dear  friend,  let  us  praise  his  precious  name, 
and  let  us  magnify  his  love  together.  Soon, 
yet  a  very  little  w^hile,  and  we  shall  be  with 
him ;  we  shall  be  like  him.  O  what  a  thought 
is  that,  LIKE  HIM  !  Yes,  when  we  come  where 
he  is,  the  glory  of  that  sun  of  righteousness 
will  shine  upon  us,  yea,  will  shine  into  us ;  and 
he  will  make  us  what  he  is.  We  shall  then 
be  happy  partakers  of  all  that  was  with  de- 
light in  the  breast  of  Jehovah  from  eternity ; 
all  will  be  fulfilled.  The  Father's  richest 
love,  the  most  exalted  grace  of  the  Spirit, 
will  flow,  through  the  infinitely  blessed  Im- 
manuel,  into  all  his  glorified  members.  This 
is  the  accomplishment  of  the  everlasting 
covenant.  In  this  the  eternal  Three  will 
take  eternal  delight.  Jehovah  will  rest  in 
his  love.  And  through  that  God-man  will 
the  Godhead  have  full,  perfect,  and  ever- 
lasting glory,  honor,  worship,  blessing,  and 
praise,  from  the  full  choir.  You  will  sing 
aloud,  in  as  high  a  key  as  any  one  of  them 
all.  Complain  now  you  may,  and  of  your- 
self you  ought ;  but  then  it  will  be  all  praise 


12  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

— all  wonder — that  you  should  be  chosen, 
elect  of  God,  partaker  of  his  covenant-love, 
this  distinguishing  grace  will  make  you  a 
happy,  willing  debtor  to  Immanuel  for  ever 
and  ever. 

Thus,  looking  backward  or  forward,  I  see 
all  the  purposes  and  works  of  God  bearing 
respect  to  this  wonderful  person.  He  was 
set  up  from  everlasting  as  the  Alpha,  and  he 
will  be  to  everlasting  the  Omega ;  for  in  all 
things  he  must  have  the  pre-eminence.  He 
has  it  above.  O  that  we  may  ascribe  more 
of  it  to  him  below :  and  you  will,  if  you  can 
pierce  with  the  eagle  eye  of  faith  within  the 
veil.  There  you  will  behold  Immanuel  en- 
throned, and  all  the  host  of  Heaven  worship- 
ing at  his  feet,  admiring  and  adoring,  be- 
cause sharing  in,  his  Divine  excellencies. 
The  beauty  of  this  sight  makes  an  eternal 
heaven.  Then,  if  your  faith  has  any  ears  to 
hear,  listen.  O  what  melody  do  they  make ! 
— Avhat  notes  do  these  golden  harps  strike  ! 
—what  voices  accompany  them  ! — Avhat  a 
harmony  !  The  words  I  understand — they 
are  singing,  Salvation  to  our  God,  wlio  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb,  for  ever. 
But  their  manner  of  singing  is  peculiar  to 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


13 


the  place.  The  air  can  form  no  such  sounds : 
they  can  be  only  in  the  element  of  heaven. 
When  your  faith  comes  down  from  this  high 
flight — and  it  is  not  capable  of  being  long 
there — then  look  around  you ;  and  whatever 
object  your  eyes  first  fix  upon,  if  they  be 
spiritually  exercised,  you  will  see  some  ray 
of  our  Immanuel's  glory.  The  book  of  nature 
is  the  outward  record  of  his  fame.  Some  of 
his  great  achievements  are  engraved  in  every 
part  of  the  creation.  The  sun,  moon,  and 
stars,  the  earth  with  all  its  productions,  in 
full  concert  join  the  choir  above,  and  in  per- 
fect unison  sound  forth  the  glory  of  our  Im- 
manuel.  And  suppose  I  direct  your  eye  to 
an  object  w^hich  I  know  you  do  not  like  to 
look  at — YOURSELF.  Even  there  I  can  find 
— O  that  you  may — as  great  a  proof  of  the  Re- 
deemer's glory  as  anywhere  else  upon  earth  : 
for,  w^iat  are  you  ?  Are  you  not  a  poor,  mis- 
erable, helpless  sinner?  His  crown  depends 
upon  his  saving  such.  What  do  you  feel 
within  you  ? — tell  all  your  complaints.  These 
just  fit  you  to  live  upon  the  Saviour's  fullness. 
Look  at  your  outward  estate  ;  tell  me  that 
part  of  it  Avhich  does  not  display  the  Saviour's 
glory.    What  does  fortune  say,  and  health, 


14  LETTERS  OF  THE  LATE 

and  friends  1  (I  put  myself  in) — let  me  be 
their  mouth : — We  are  all  the  gifts  of  Jesus'  rich 
love — love  him  for  bestowing  us  upon  you  ;  and 
the  more  you  have,  love  him  more.  And,  mind, 
you  cannot,  you  never  will,  love  him  too 
much.  Try — put  forth  all  your  strength — 
he  will  still  be  above  your  affection,  the  best, 
the  utmost  of  it.  I  wish  you  much  of  his 
company  this  Christmas— many  a  sweet  visit 
from  him.  When  you  are  very  familiar,  put 
a  word  in  for  me.  O  how  I  long  to  be  more 
intimate  with  him.  But  he  is  kind,  indeed ; 
exceedingly  kind.  Dearest,  dearest  Jesus  ! 
May  he  never  leave  you  without  some  token 
of  his  love  !    Paper  fails — Farewell. 

W.  R. 


LETTER  II. 


Lambeth,  January  18,  1763. 

My  dear  Friend  : — I  often  remember  you 
in  the  best  place,  and  for  the  best  purposes,  but 
cannot  bring  myself  to  love  writing  of  letters; 
yet  I  have  again  taken  up  my  pen,  to  wish  you 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


15 


every  spiritual  blessing  purchased  by  the  life 
and  death  of  our  incarnate  God,  and  that  will 
make  you  as  happy  as  you  can  be  on  this 
side  of  heaven.  In  this  new  year,  may  you 
grow  in  the  knowledge  and  excellency  of  his 
most  adored  person,  of  his  complete,  finished 
salvation,  and  of  your  own  particular  interest 
in  it ;  and,  having  these  believing  views, 
may  you  glorify  him  by  living  happy  upon 
his  fullness  !  I  know  a  little  of  these  matters, 
and  but  little ;  yet  I  am  sitting,  abashed  at 
my  ignorance,  at  my  Master's  feet.  He  has 
made  me  willing  to  hear  his  words ;  and  I 
find  his  lips  so  full  of  grace,  that  I  cannot 
spare  a  moment  for  my  Homer  or  Virgil,  my 
favorite  TuUy  or  Demosthenes.  Adieu  for- 
ever to  all  the  cla.ssics.  I  see  an  heavenly 
life,  as  well  as  a  matchless  beauty,  in  my 
Lord's  words ;  and  though  I  am  a  dull  scholar, 
yet  he  is  a  blessed  Master.  He  keeps  me 
waiting  upon  him  day  by  day,  trusting  nothing 
to  my  own  understanding,  but  listening  con- 
tinually to  his  instruction  :  so  he  gets  all  the 
glory  of  making  me  wise  unto  salvation.  To 
this  great  prophet  may  you  repair  for  in- 
struction all  this  year!  He  teaches  as  never 
man  taught.    His  doctrine  is  with  power 


16  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

and  demonstration  of  the  Spirit.  He  can  so 
humble  your  pride,  that  you  shall  be  as  de- 
pendent upon  him  as  a  new-born  babe;  and 
then,  having  emptied  you  of  your  own  carnal 
reason,  and  false  wisdom,  he  will  enlighten 
you  by  his  Word  and  Spirit,  with  saving 
truth.  Here  the  humblest  scholar  learns  the 
most;  for  our  highest  lesson  is  to  learn  how 
to  live  upon  Him,  who  was  made  of  God  unto 
us  wnsdom;  and  he  who  relies  most  upon 
him  for  that  wisdom  will  certainly  be  the 
wisest.  If  the  Avhole  world  was  mine,  and  I 
could  purchase  what  I  would  with  it,  I  would 
give  it  all  to  be  a  scholar  made  poor  in  spirit 
at  Christ's  feet.  And  what,  tlien,  can  I  Avish 
my  dear  friend  better,  than  to  be  one  of  his 
little  children,  whom  he  teaches  his  mind 
and  will  ?  Only  I  could  wish  you  more  hum- 
bled, that  you  may  more  perfectly  learn  the 
two  blessed  truths  which  he  is  exalted  to 
teach  his  people  ;  namely,  to  believe  in  his 
blood  and  righteousness,  and  to  live  upon  his 
grace  and  power. 

His  prophetical  office  is  to  teach  us  how  to 
be  always  safe  by  believing  in  him,  and  al- 
ways happij'hj  living  upon  him.  He  has  the 
residue  of  the  Spirit  with  him,  and  he  sends 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


17 


him  into  the  behever's  heart,  to  be  always 
preaching  this  most  comfortable  doctrine, 
that  whatever  he  wants  for  his  acceptance  at 
the  bar  of  justice,  it  is  perfectly  to  be  had, 
and  freely  in  the  fullness  of  the  Lord  Christ. 
Sins  as  red  as  scarlet,  sins  as  numerous  as 
the  stars,  or  as  the  sand  upon  the  sea-shore 
innumerable,  and  nature  as  black  as  hell,  a 
lieart  as  wicked  as  the  Devil,  the  divine  and 
eternally  precious  blood  of  Jesus  can  so 
cleanse  and  purify,  that  not  one  spot  shall 
remain ;  for  he  is  Almighty.  He  has  all 
power  in  heaven  and  earth  to  pardon  sin. 
If  I  had  been  guilty  of  all  the  sins  of  Adam 
and  Eve,  and  of  all  their  descendants  to  this 
day,  yet  believing  in  him  I  should  be  safe, 
because  his  blood  cleanseth  from  all  sin. 
And  in  Christ  the  believer  has  a  better 
righteousness  than  that  of  the  angels ;  theirs 
is  finite,  his  is  infinite  : — a  better  righteous- 
ness than  that  of  our  first  parents  in  paradise ; 
theirs  was  the  righteousness  of  a  creature, 
and  they  lost  it ;  this  is  the  righteousness  of 
God,  and  it  is  an  everlasting  righteousness, 
never  to  be  lost.  It  is  the  righteousness  in 
which  the  saints  stand  before  God  for  ever 
and  ever.    When  the  Holy  .  Spirit  takes  of 


18  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

these  things  of  Christ,  and  preaches  them  to 
the  heart,  oh,  what  a  sweet  peace  follows  ! 
— for  the  believer  then  finds  himself  saved 
from  all  the  miseries  of  sin,  and  entitled  to 
all  the  blessings  of  eternal  glory;  and,  being 
thus  persuaded  of  his  safety  by  believing  in 
the  atoning  blood  of  our  Great  High  Priest, 
then  the  Holy  Spirit  teaches  him  how  to  live 
upon  Christ,  and  how  to  make  use  of  Christ's 
fullness.  On  our  learning  this  lesson  depends 
our  comfortable  walk  heaven-wards :  for 
Christ  does  not  give  us  a  stock  of  grace,  and 
expect  us  to  improve  it  by  being  faithful  to 
grace  given :  no,  no ;  that  is  not  his  way. 
Our  souls  must  depend  upon  him,  as  our 
bodies  do  upon  the  elements  of  this  world. 
Every  moment  we  must  live  by  faith  upon 
his  fullness,  and  be  every  moment  receiving 
out  of  it  grace  for  grace.  And  this  is  our 
happiness— to  have  all  in  Christ.  A  beggar 
in  myself,  but  rich  with  unsearchable,  eternal 
riches  in  him.  Ignorant  still  in  myself,  but 
led  and  taught  by  his  unerring  wisdom.  A 
sinner  still,  but  believing  in  his  blood  and 
righteousness.  Weak  and  helpless  still,  but 
kept  by  his  Almighty  love.  Nothing  but 
sorrow  in  myself,  nothing  but  joy  in  him. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


19 


Oh !  this  is  a  blessed  life.  No  tongue  can 
tell  what  a  heaven  it  is,  thus  to  live  by  faith 
upon  the  Son  of  God.  Thanks  be  to  him,  I 
know  a  little  of  it ;  and  I  cannot  but  heartily 
pray  that  you  may  know  more  of  it  this  year 
than  you  ever  did.  Surely  I  could  not  have 
thought,  some  years  ago,  that  there  was  such 
an  heaven  upon  earth  as  I  now  find — Bless- 
ings for  ever  on  the  Lamb  !  May  you  find  it 
more  and  more  !  Sweet  Jesus  keep  you,  my 
dear  friend! 

Your's, 

W.  R. 


LETTER  III. 


Lambeth,  March  26,  1763. 

Thanks  to  my  dear  friend  for  her  kind 
letter  this  morning.  The  subject  inquired 
after,  is  what  I  have  been  long  exercised 
about,  both  in  my  own  soul,  and  in  my 
ministry ;  and,  for  the  sake  of  weak  be- 
lievers, and  to  save  myself  great  trouble  in 
continually  conversing  with  these  persons, 
I  resolved  to  write  a  little  treatise  upon 


20  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

the  subject.  I  trust  my  time  and  strength, 
what  I  have  and  am,  is  now  the  Lord's.  I 
wish  he  may  use  me  as  he  pleases,  for  his 
own  glory.  My  writings  are  to  set  forth 
his  praise,  and  to  exalt  his  salvation.  The 
inclosed  plan  will  show  you  what  I  pro- 
pose ;  and,  to  make  it  more  easy  to  be 
understood,  I  shall  relate  it  by  way  of  ex- 
perience, giving  an  account  of  the  Life  of 
Faith,  as  it  was  begun  in  one  of  my  acquaint- 
ance, and  carried  on  to  this  day,  he  being 
now  a  father  in  Christ ;  and  I  shall  make 
remarks  upon  it  as  I  go  on.  The  subject  is 
but  little  known.  I  pray  you,  my  dear 
friend,  forget  not  me,  nor  my  book.  Beg  of 
the  Lord  Christ  to  bless  it.  If  he  smile 
upon  it,  it  will  be  useful  to  his  people  :  that 
is  my  highest  wish.  May  it  be  profitable 
and  useful  to  your  soul ! 

I  have  many  letters  to  write  to-night,  and 
yet  I  could  not  help  acknowledging  the 
receipt  of  yours.  To  a  precious  Jesus  I 
commend  you :  to  his  love  and  to  his  power 
leave  all  your  matters.  What  cannot,  what 
will  not  he  do  for  you,  if  you  do  but  trust 
him !  Are  they  not  all  happy  in  heaven  1 
It  is  his  happiness.   They  have  it  from  him. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


21 


Trust  him,  and  lie  will  not  only  bring  you 
safe  there,  hut  also  make  you  happy  by  the 
Avay.  Oh !  what  a  savor  is  there  in  his 
name  !  I  did  but  just  mention  him,  and  I 
can  scarce  stop  my  pen,  his  love  so  warms 
my  heart.  Dear,  precious  Jesus!  thou  art 
above  all  blessing  and  praise ;  fill  my  friend's 
heart  Avith  thy  love,  and  make  her  rejoice  in 
thy  finished  salvation.    My  kind  respects  to 

Miss   ;   and  pray  tell  her  she  cannot 

possibly  think  too  highly  of  Christ,  nor  love 
him  too  much,  nor  live  too  much  by  faith 
upon  him.  His  salvation  is  infinite  and  eter- 
nal :  the  love  of  him  for  this  salvation  is 
heaven  upon  earth ;  and  living  by  faith  upon 
him,  for  the  present  graces  and  future  glo- 
ries of  this  salvation,  is  getting  every  mo- 
ment fresh  tokens  of  his  love  to  us,  and 
exciting  fresh  love  to  him.  In  short,  I  wish 
she  may  be  married  to  Christ,  and  then,  his 
person  being  hers,  his  honors,  his  estate, 
and  all  he  has,  will  be  hers  also.  Once 
more,  to  that  dearest  of  all  names,  Jesus, 
I  commend  you ;  and  am  yours  unfeignedly, 
for  his  sake,  W.  R. 


22 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


LETTER  IV. 


Lambeth,  May  14,  1763. 

Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  blessed  you  with  so 
many  blessings  already,  and  who  having  be- 
gun will  not  cease  to  bless  you  in  life  and 
death,  and  for  evermore !  Your  letter  of  May 
2d  puts  me  in  mind  of  his  goodness,  as  I  wish 
all  things  may.  It  rejoices  my  very  heart 
to  see  him  displaying  the  glories  of  his  grace 
far  and  wide.  From  London  through  Eu- 
rope, from  Europe  to  America,  yea,  as  far  as 
the  sun  travels,  his  fame  is  spread.  And 
does  he  not  deserve  it  ?  Oh,  my  friend, 
what  have  we  to  tell  of  but  the  loving-kind- 
ness of  Jesus;  and  what  to  praise,  but  his 
wonders  in  saving  such  as  we  are,  and  in 
saving  so  many  of  us  ?  Blessings  for  ever 
on  the  Lamb  !  May  we  glorify  him  by  rest- 
ing on  him  for  righteousness  and  strength, 
and  by  Uving  wholly  upon  him  for  grace  and 
glory.    Then  all  goes  well,  when 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


23 


On  all  besides  his  precious  blood, 
On  all  besides  the  Son  of  God, 
We  trample  boldly,  and  disclaim 
All  other  saviours  but  the  Lamb. 

As  to  what  you  write  about,  I  know  not 
what  to  say.  It  is  in  the  best  hands.  He 
knows  what  to  do.  Let  him  alone.  Re- 
member he  is  the  Head  of  the  Church,  and 
he  will  look  after  his  own  matters,  and  well 
too.  At  present,  I  see  not  my  way  clearly 
from  London.  Here  my  master  fixes  me, 
and  here  I  must  stay  till  he  call  me  to  some 
other  place.  When  he  would  have  me  to 
move,  he  will  let  me  know  his  will.  Be- 
sides, what  am  I  ?  What  does  it  signify 
where  I  am  ?  A  poor  dumb  dog,  the  vilest, 
the  basest,  of  all  the  servants  of  my  Lord.  If 
you  could  see  what  is  passing  for  any  one  hour 
in  my  heart,  you  would  not  think  anything  of 
me  ;  you  would  only  admire  and  extol  the 
riches  of  Jesus'  love.  Wonderful  it  is  that  he 
should  set  his  heart  upon  such  a  very  incar- 
nate devil,  and  humble  me  so  as  to  make  me 
willing  to  be  saved  by  his  sovereign  grace ; 
and  that  he  should  send  such  an  one  to 
pi'each  his  Gospel,  and  bless  it  too,  to  many, 
many  souls  (while  every  sermon  covers  me 


24  LETTERS   OF  THE  LATE 

with  shame  and  confusion) — oh,  this  is  won- 
derful, wonderful,  eternally  to  be  admired, 
grace  !  What  cannot  he  do,  who  can  form  a 
preacher  out  of  such  a  dry  rotten  stick,  fit  for 
nothing  but  the  fire  of  hell  ?  Glory,  glory  be  to 
him  alone,  and  for  ever,  and  for  evermore.  All 
the  tongues,  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  men  and 
angels,  throughout  eternity,  cannot  praise 
liim  enough  for  what  he  has  already  done  for 
my  soul,  and  therefore  I  am  content  to  be  a 
poor  broken  bankrupt  debtor  for  ever.  Here- 
by I  shall  be  enabled  forever  to  exalt  him, 
and  to  put  the  crown  upon  his  head,  and  that 
is  all  I  want.  It  will  be  heaven  enough  to 
join  that  blessed  company,  who  are  crying. 
Worth]/  is  the  Lamb  (but  none  else)  to  o'eceive 
blessing  and  glory,  &c.  Nothing  is  mentioned 
among  them  but  Jesus'  goodness,  and  he 
does  not  leave  himself  without  witness 
among  us  poor  sinners.  He  has  been  doing 
miracles  of  mercy  for  Lady  H. ;  and  as  she 
herself  says.  In  the  midst  of  judgment  he  re- 
membered mercy.  You  have  heard,  I  suppose, 

of  Lady  S  's  illness.    She  had  a  violent 

fever  for  about  seventeen  days,  and  the 
physicians  did  not  apprehend  she  was  in 
any  great  danger,  although  she  was  near  her 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  25 

end.  On  Thursday  morning,  about  four 
o'clock,  the  Lord  took  her  to  himself.  O 
what  a  stroke  was  that,  say  you,  to  Lady 

H  ;  No,  indeed,  it  was  all  mercy,  all 

love,  like  the  rest  of  Jesus'  gracious  dealings 
with  his  people.    During  her  illness.  Lady 

H          had  every  day  many  promises  given 

her  of  God's  kindness  to  her  daughter ;  all 
which  she  interpreted  in  a  carnal  sense,  like 
the  Jews,  and  thought  her  daughter  would 
recover  and  do  well  again.  By  this  means 
she  was  wonderfully  supported,  and  her 
spirits  were  kept  up  to  the  last.  And  when 
the  Lord  let  her  see  things  were  otherwise 
intended  than  she  thought,  then  he  had  pre- 
pared for  her  a  fresh  fund  of  comfort.  For 

such  was  Lady  S  's  behavior,  and  such 

her  speeches,  from  the  beginning  of  her  ill- 
ness, that  there  is  no  doubt  but  she  died 
happy  in  the  arms  of  Jesus.  My  dear  friend, 
if  I  had  time  to  tell  you  all  the  particulars 
of  her  death,  your  soul  would  abundantly 
rejoice,  and  all  that  is  within  you  would 
bless  the  God  of  your  salvation.  To  him 
she  committed  herself,  trusted  him,  found 
him  faithful,  and  declared,  over  and  over 
again,  that  in  him  slie  was  happy.  Her 
2 


26 


LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 


last  words  to  her  mother,  when  she  took 

her  leave,  were  these  :    Lady  H   had 

said,  "  My  dearest  child,  how  do  you  feel 
your  heart  ?  are  you  happy  ?"  She  an- 
swered, lifting  up  her  head  from  the  pillow, 
which  she  had  not  done  for  several  days, 
/  am  happy,  exceedingly  happy  in  Jesus — then 

she  kissed  Lady  H  ,  and  presently  went 

home.  Although  my  lady  bears  this  loss  so 
well,  yet  she  feels  it.  She  is  but  a  woman, 
and  though  a  gracious  one,  yet  grace  does 
not  destroy  nature.  She  is  a  parent,  and  at 
present  incapable  of  writing.  I  am  yours  in 
Jesus,  W.  R. 


LETTER  V. 


My  dear  Madam  : — I  cannot  resist  the  op- 
portunity, though  I  can  write  but  two  or  three 
lines,  to  thank  you  for  your  last  letter,  and  for 
your  kindness  to  me  expressed  in  it.  I  thank 
God  for  the  contents.  What  you  say  of  your- 
self is  to  me  very  comfortable,  because  I  see 
how  the  Spirit  of  God  is  leading  you.    He  is 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


27 


taking  you  up  into  the  highest  form  in  the 
school  of  Christ,  and  is  teaching  you  an  ex- 
perience which  is  not  only  next  to  glory,  but 
is  also  glory  begun.  This  being  the  hardest 
to  learn,  no  wonder  you  should  complain.  I 
take  notice  of  your  account  of  your  present 
state,  of  your  trials,  and  of  the  exercises  of 
your  faith.  A  great  part  of  your  letter  is 
upon  these  points,  describing  your  self-abase- 
ment and  loathing  at  the  sight  and  sense  of 
what  you  are  in  yourself,  and  wondering  that 
such  an  one  as  you  should  be  brought  to 
know,  to  believe  in,  and  to  love  our  Jesus. 

Now,  my  good  friend,  I  must  tell  you,  if 
you  had  written  to  me,  and  desired  me  to 
give  you  the  character  of  a  true  Christian,  I 
should  have  copied  it  from  your  letter.  I 
could  not  have  left  one  circumstance  out. 
All  that  you  mention  of  your  being  tried, 
afflicted  in  body  and  mind,  brought  low, 
and  kept  low  ;  sometimes  mourning  at  the 
strength  of  corruption,  and  at  the  weakness 
of  your  graces  ;  at  your  love  to  earthly  rela- 
tions, and  at  your  love  to  our  Jesus — one  so 
strong,  the  other  so  weak  :  your  trials  on 
these,  and  many  other  such  like  accounts, 
are  such  as  no  true  disciple  of  Christ,  in  your 


28  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

circumstances,  could  be  without.  My  answer 

should  have  been,  He  is  exactly  what  Mrs.  

says  she  is.  For  in  reading  the  Scripture  I 
can  find  but  these  two  things  spoken  of  the 
office  of  the  Holy  Spirit :  He  first  enables 
the  sinner  to  receive  Christ  by  faith,  and 
then  to  live  upon  him,  so  received,  for  all 
things.  If  you  examine  these  two  rules 
carefully,  you  will  see  that  all  the  teaching 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  may  be  reduced  to  them ; 
and  if  you  examine  yourself  by  the  light  of 
the  Word,  you  will  have  no  doubt  but  that 
you  are  among  them  to  whom  the  promise 
was  made,  All  thy  children  shall  be  taught 
of  God.  For,  have  you  not  renounced  your 
righteousness  as  well  as  your  sins  ?  Have 
you  no  more  dependence  on  your  good  works 
than  on  your  bad  Avorks  ?  Is  not  the  holy 
nature  of  our  Immanuel,  his  infinitely  holy 
life,  his  everlastingly  precious  death — is  not 
this  complete  work  of  his  the  only  ground 
of  your  hope  ?  O  yes,  say  you,  "  on  this 
rock  I  lay  my  foundation,  I  build  all  on  it 
for  time  and  for  eternity."  Very  well !  then 
certain  it  is,  the  Holy  Spirit  has  done  his 
first  work  in  you.  He  has  enabled  you  to 
receive  Christ ;  now  he  is  carrying  on  his 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


29 


work,  the  second  part  of  the  same  lesson, 
which  is  enabling  you  to  live  upon  Christ 
received.  This  is  very  hard  to  learn;  it's 
against  nature  ;  against  our  natural  love  for 
law  and  works,  our  legal  lookings  at  self,  our 
foolish  hope,  if  I  live  longer  I  shall  be  better. 
O  it  is  hard,  I  find  it  to  this  hour — like  leap- 
ing overboard  in  a  storm — to  cast  myself  sim- 
ply on  Jesus  for  everything  ;  but  it  must  be 
done.  The  Spirit  abides  with  you  for  this 
purpose,  that  he  may  take  of  the  things  of 
Christ,  and  show  them  to  you,  and  so  glorify 
him.  When  he  is  teaching  this  heavenly 
truth,  we  kick  against  it,  we  pervert  it. 
When  we  go  on  the  best,  we  think  we  are 
at  the  worst.  But  he  abides  to  conquer  our 
opposition,  to  set  right  what  we  pervert,  and 
to  convince  us  all  is  and  shall  be  well.  May 
he  thus  bless  a  word  spoken  to  the  Saviour's 
glory  ! 

My  dear  friend,  you  know  it  pleased  the 
Father  that  all  fullness  should  dwell  in  our 
Jesus  ;  it  pleases  the  Spirit  to  witness  of  it, 
and  to  glorify  it.  How  ?  in  what  way  ? 
Why,  just  as  he  is  teaching  you.  He  is 
bringing  you  to  live  out  of  yourself  upon  the 
fullness  of  Jesus.    Mind  how  he  does  it. 


30  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

He  shows  you  first,  that  you  want  such  a 
thing ;  then,  that  you  cannot  get  it  anywhere 
but  from  Jesus ;  and  then  he  leads  you  to 
think,  that  trusting  to  his  faithful  word,  you 
may  experience  how  ready  his  heart,  how 
able  his  hand,  is  to  supply  all  your  need. 
This  is  a  beggar's  life  ;  here's  nothing  but 
alms.  We  don't  like  it.  We  want  some 
stock  ;  if  we  could  get  it,  we  should  like  an 
independent  fortune.  But  it  cannot  be.  The 
Spirit  of  Jesus  will  witness  of  nothing,  and 
glorify  nothing,  but  the  Saviour's  all-suffi- 
cient grace ;  and  therefore,  he  sets  himself 
against  all  our  greatness  and  goodness,  that 
he  who  glorieth,  may  glory  only  in  the  Lord 
Christ.  And  when  he  is  bringing  us  to  this 
true  glorifying  of  the  Lord,  we  mistake,  we 
pervert  his  lessons  ;  I  know  I  do,  and  I  think 
you  do.  We  both  fail  in  our  experience,  as 
your  letter  clearly  proves  to  me. 

If  you  ask  me,  how  you  may  become  a 
better  scholar  ?  as  I  have  been  taught,  I 
would  gladly  inform  you. 

Read  and  pray  for  more  self-knowledge  : 
God's  Word  and  Spirit  will  teach  you  no- 
thing about  yourself,  but  what  Avill  humble 
you  to  the  dust,  and  keep  you  there.  Read 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


31 


and  pray  for  more  knowledge  of  Jesus,  of 
his  person  God-man,  his  salvation-work  infi- 
nitely and  everlastingly  perfect ;  he  is  yours, 
now  he  is  received,  and  all  he  has,  and  all 
he  is,  as  Jests ;  yours  in  title,  and,  so  far  as 
you  believe,  yours  now  in  possession. 

Read  and  pray  for  more  faith,  that  what 
you  have  a  title  to  you  may  take  possession 
of,  and  so  make  constant  use  of  it.  Your 
estate  is  great,  immensely  great.  Use  it,  and 
live  up  to  it ;  as  you  do  in  temporals,  so  do 
in  spirituals.  Your  money,  your  land,  your 
air,  your  light,  your  meat,  and  drink,  and 
house,  and  clothing,  these  you  use  ;  but  you 
have  not  them  in  you ;  only,  being  yours, 
they  are  used  hj  you.  So  do  by  Christ. 
When  the  Spirit  w^ould  glorify  Jesus,  he 
humbles  you.  When  he  would  glorify  his 
fullness,  he  makes  you  feel  your  emptiness. 
When  he  would  bring  you  to  rely  on  his 
strength,  he  convinces  you  of  your  weak- 
ness. When  he  would  magnify  the  comforts 
of  Jesus,  he  makes  you  sensible  of  your  mis- 
ery. When  he  would  fix  your  heart  on  his 
heaven,  he  makes  you  feel  your  deserved 
hell.  When  he  Avould  exalt  his  righteous- 
ness, you  find  you  are  a  poor  miserable  sin- 


32  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

ner.  Can  you,  my  friend,  practice  this  ?  let 
nothing  keep  you  from  Jesus.  Whatever 
you  need,  whatever  you  feel  wrong,  may  it 
bring  you  to  the  Saviour's  fullness  !  O  that 
all  things  may  help  forward  your  acquaint- 
ance with  him  !  I  except  nothing,  neither 
sin  nor  sorrow  :  I  would  carry  all  to  him  as 
one  great  lump  of  sin,  and  receive  all  good 
from  him,  as  the  only  storehouse  of  good  for 
wretclied  sinners.  In  this  communion  I  de- 
sire to  grow ;  for  this  I  desire  to  live.  O 
that  you  and  I  may  learn  it  more,  and  get 
every  day  nearer  fellowship  with  our  sweet 
Jesus,  growing  up  into  him  in  all  things. 

See  how  my  pen  runs  on  as  fast  as  I  can 
write.  My  very  heart  and  soul  are  enamored 
with  him  :  I  love  his  name  :  I  adore  his  per- 
son :  he  is  my  heaven.  O  what  treasures 
are  there  in  our  Jesus  !  May  his  glorious 
Spirit  witness  for  him  to  your  heart.  Be- 
lieve me  your  very  sincere  friend,  a  well- 
wisher  in  that  matchless  lover  of  sinners, 
and  of  one  of  the  chief  of  them. 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


33 


LETTER  VI. 


Beightheljistone,  September  1, 1763. 

I  HAVE  at  last  got  a  spare  hour  to  write  to 

my  dear  friends  at  ,  and  to  tell  them 

how  much  I  wish  all  spiritual  blessings  in 
Christ  Jesus  may  be  theirs.  Since  I  left 
you,  all  has  been  hurry,  traveling  from  place 
to  place,  till  kind  Providence  has  brought 
me  to  Brighthelmstone,  where  I  hope  for  a 
little  rest — not  so  much  to  my  soul ;  blessed 
be  the  grace  of  sweet  Jesus,  I  have  that — 
but  rest  from  distraction,  hurry,  dust,  heat, 
and  want  of  sleep.  This  is  a  kind  of  heaven 
after  a  storm.  Not  that  I  expect  a  continual 
calm  here  :  it  would  be  a  sad  place  indeed, 
if  there  were  no  enemies,  no  warfare,  no 
trials  and  troubles  in  it.  These  I  must  have 
wherever  I  go  ;  because  they  grow  in  my 
constitution,  and  are  nourished  in  the  body 
of  sin  :  and  because  without  them  I  should 
not  know  how  to  prize  Christ.  But  I  find 
my  retired  and  private  times  are  the  best  for 
2* 


34 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


my  own  soul,  as  more  public  times  are  for 
others ;  and  yet  that  sweetest  blessed  Jesus, 
when  I  am  in  his  work,  takes  care  of  me, 
and  when  I  am  watering  others  he  does  not 
leave  me  unwatered  myself.  I  am  a  witness 
for  him.  I  have  been  preaching  his  salvation 
many  years  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd,  living 
all  the  time  in  a  great  hurry  ;  and  yet  I  gain 
every  year  some  fresh  knowledge  of  myself, 
some  more  knowledge  of  my  incarnate  God, 
and  some  steadier  trust  and  dependence 
upon  him;  and  I  can  say  it  is  good  for  me 
that  I  have  been  a  poor  despised  preacher 
of  Christ  Jesus. 

Now,  what  can  I  wish  my  dear  friend 
more  for  her  peace  and  blessedness,  than  that 
the  dear  Saviour  may  do  for  her  what  he  has 
done  for  me,  only  in  a  greater  degree  ?  for  I 
am  sure  it  is  a  growing  thing.  In  the  know- 
ledge of  ourselves  we  may  certainly  increase. 
There  is  a  mystery  of  iniquity  in  us  which 
we  shall  not  perfectly  comprehend  so  long  as 
we  live.  But  as  we  make  fresh  discoveries 
of  it  we  shall  see  our  want  more  of  Christ, 
and  thereby  get  more  knowledge  of  the  great 
mystery  of  godhness.  The  sense  of  our 
manifold  wants  will  magnify  the  riches  of 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


35 


his  grace  in  supplying  them.  So  the  lower 
man  is  abased,  the  higher  is  the  Saviour  ex- 
alted. And  this  will  of  course  bring  us  to 
make  more  use  of  him,  to  trust  him  more, 
and  to  live  more  upon  him,  which  is  the  bless- 
edness of  faith.  When  I  feel  the  depth  of 
my  distress  and  wants,  and  the  infinite  riches 
of  Jesus'  grace  to  supply  them,  then  faith 
does  its  office  aright,  when  it  is  not  discour- 
aged by  a  sense  of  many  increasing  wants, 
but  is  thereby  made  to  cleave  closer  to  Jesus, 
and  to  prize  him  more.  This  is  my  present 
state  ;  and  in  it  I  have  a  pleasure  which  can- 
not be  described.  The  height  of  Jesus'  grace 
is  so  exactly  suited  to  the  depth  of  my  dis- 
tress, that  I  am  ready  to  glory  in  it.  I  would 
not  be  without  one  single  want.  My  wants 
are  my  happiness.  They  make  Christ  so 
exceedingly  desirable,  that  fresh  wants  add 
to  him  in  my  eyes  fresh  beauty.  It  is  a 
pleasure  to  be  in  his  debt — ^yea,  the  greatest 
I  know  of.  I  would  not  have  inherent  right- 
eousness if  I  could  get  it  for  nothing.  I 
w^ould  not  be  rich,  and  increased  in  goods, 
and  have  need  of  nothing  from  him,  if  it  was 
possible.  His  glory  is  my  heart's  delight ; 
and  therefore  I  love  to  glorify  him  by  living 


36  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

upon  his  fullness.  I,  nothing — He,  all  in 
ALL.  When  it  is  thus  with  me  I  am  safe 
and  happy.  I  am  the  greatest  fool  that  ever 
lived — I  feel  it !  and  that  makes  his  wisdom 
so  precious,  I  am  the  chief  of  sinners — I 
find  it  daily  ;  and  that  makes  his  hlood  and 
righteousness  my  continual  delight.  I  have 
as  many  evil  tempers  as  the  devil :  Oh !  how 
they  stir,  and  fight  against  the  Spirit !  But 
Jesus  is  my  sanctification.  He  has  given 
them  their  death's  wound  ;  and  by  and  by 
they  will  expire,  and  be  no  more.  In  myself 
I  deserve  hell  every  moment ;  but  Jesus  is 
my  redemption,  my  eternal  redemption.  Oh  ! 
how  my  heart  loves  him !  He  know^s  it 
well.  And  if  I  am  ever  vouchsafed  (why 
should  I  doubt  it  ?)  to  see  him  face  to  face, 
I  will  acknowledge  him  to  be  all  in  all, 
and  rejoice  to  acknowledge  it  forever.  And 
it  will  be  the  very  heaven  of  heavens  (truly 
I  taste  something  of  heaven  in  thinking  of 
it)  to  give  him  the  glory  of  my  crown,  and 
to  lay  it  low  at  his  fe  .  \\  orthy  is  the 
Lamb.  Thanks  be  to  him,  I  can  sing  this 
song  now,  but  in  a  poor  strain  to  what  I  hope 
to  do  soon.  Sweet  Jesus,  bring  you  and  me 
safe  to  the  eternal  enjoyment  of  him  and  his 
glory. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


37 


I  am  sorry  to  stop,  to  tell  you  of  two  par- 
cels I  left  at  ,  one  for  you  and  another 

for  Mr,  .    I  hope  they  are  come  safe  to 

hand.  Inclosed  in  yours  was  a  Field's  Bible, 
the  best  present  I  could  think  of  for  your 
kindness  to  me,  and  another  little  pocket 

Bible  for  dear   .    One  favor  would  I 

beg,  if  you  would  grant  it  me ;  and  that  is, 
for  you  both  to  read  the  Bible  over  once  in 
these  little  keepsakes.  I  have  many  reasons 
for  asking  this  lavor ;  but  one  is  peculiar  to 
myself,  namely,  that  it  will  often  put  you  in 
mind  of  your  faithful  friend  in  the  bond  of 
the  Spirit,  W.  R. 


LETTER  VII. 


Bbightiielmstone,  September  26,  1763. 

The  presence  of  dear  Jesus  be  with  my 
dear  friend — that  presence  which  turns  dark- 
ness into  light,  sin  into  righteousness,  misery 
into  heaven.  What  can  you  want  if  he  be 
with  you  ?  He  has  such  a  miraculous  virtue, 
that  he  can  turn  your  weakness  into  strength, 


38  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

your  mourning  into  joy,  your  death  into  life  ; 
so  that  there  is  not  in  you  any  evil  effect  of 
sin,  but  his  almighty  grace  can  make  it  work 
under  him  for  his  glory  and  for  your  good. 
Oh !  may  his  presence  be  with  you  as  long 
as  you  are  in  this  state  of  weakness,  and 
mourning,  and  death.  Sweet  Jesus  keep 
you ;  nay,  I  know  he  will.  His  tender, 
loving  heart  loves  to  the  end.  Oh,  my  friend, 
what  a  Saviour  is  he  !  Oh,  how  I  love  him ! 
He  knows  I  do ;  and  yet  I  am  ashamed  to 
think  how  far  below  his  deserts.  By  and  by 
I  shall  do  better,  when  you  and  I  meet  be- 
fore his  throne  ;  then,  then — But  1  stop. 

Wmild    he  worthy  my  acceptance? 

The  worth  of  it  does  not  come  before  me, 
but  what  my  Master  expects  of  me.  His 
will  must  be  my  rule ;  and  it  has  been  a 
long  time  as  plain  to  me  as  that  two  and 
two  make  four.  I  am  stationed  by  myself. 
I  am  alone  in  London ;  and  while  he  keeps 
me  there  I  dare  not  move,  as,  when  he  has 
a  mind  to  remove  me,  my  way  will  be  as 
plain  from  London  as  it  is  now  to  abide  in 
it.  If  I  hearkened  to  self,  and  wanted  to 
run  away  from  the  cross,  I  know  of  no  place 
so  snug  as  ;  but  would  you  have  me 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


39 


such  a  coward  as  to  fly,  and  such  an  one  to 
stand  by  me — one  who  has  kept  me  in  many 
battles,  and  one  who,  I  trust,  will  presently 
make  me  more  than  conqueror  ? 

I  have  not  time  to  answer  your  letter  in 
other  points.  Only  be  assured  of  my  prayers 
(such  as  they  are)  for  your  reading  the  Bible. 
Remember  again,  Christ  is  the  sum  and  sub- 
stance of  it  all.  May  his  Spirit  breathe  upon 
it  as  you  read,  and  lead  you  beyond  the 
letter  to  the  life-giving  sense  ! 

I  have  great  faith  about  .    You  wiU 

be  taken  care  of;  do  not  doubt  it.  The 
government  is  on  Christ's  shoulders,  and  he 
does  all  things  well.  Leave  it  to  him.  But 
he  does  use  means ;  therefore  pray  write  as 
soon  as  you  have  fixed  on  a  proper  person. 

My  kind  love  to  dear  Mr.  .    I  wish  him 

as  happy  as  my  Master  can  make  him,  and 
then  he  will  be  one  of  the  happiest  men  in 
this  world.  Our  friends  with  you  have  my 
hearty  good  wishes  for  their  better  acquaint- 
ance with  the  precious  Lord  Jesus,  and  more 
faith  to  get  more  out  of  his  fullness.  To  him 
I  commend  you  all,  and  your  present  case  at 

 ;  and  am,  with  my  wife's  respects,  for 

his  sake,  your  friend  and  servant, 

W.  R. 


40 


LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 


LETTER  VIII. 


Lambeth,  April  17,  1764. 

My  Dear  Friend  : — I  have  just  now  re- 
ceived your  letter,  and  thank  you  for  the 
kindness  you  express  in  it  to  me.  I  am 
pretty  well  in  health,  and  loaded  with  bene- 
fits— nothing  but  mercy,  rich  mercy,  every 
day.  All  the  dealings  of  my  most  precious 
Jesus  with  my  soul  are  grace  and  love. 
He  not  only  promises,  and  by  faith  makes 
me  rely  upon  him  for  heaven,  but  now, 
even  now,  I  am  as  it  were  in  heaven ;  for 
I  live  upon  his  heavenly  blessings.  Vile 
and  base  as  I  am,  yet  he  lets  me  approach 
him,  and  converse  with  him  freely.  He 
vouchsafes  to  admit  me  into  fellowship 
with  him,  and  he  opens  his  treasures  and 
says,  "  All  these  are  thine ;  I  bought  them 
for  thee  with  the  price  of  my  blood,  but  I 
give  them  to  thee  as  a  free  gift.  Take  this 
for  the  earnest — accept  this  for  the  pledge 
of  all  the  rest;  and  all  mine  are  thine." 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


41 


Yes,  Lord,  I  believe  it :  on  thy  word  do  I 
trust,  .and  I  rely  upon  thy  faithfulness  to 
make  it  good  to  me.  I  desire  to  glorify  thee 
amidst  all  my  wants,  and  sins,  and  miseries, 
by  living  out  of  myself  upon  thine  infinite 
fullnevss.  Empty  me  still  more,  blessed  Lord ! 
be  daily  emptying  me  more,  that  I  may  be 
capable  of  holding  more  of  thy  good  things. 
What  do  you  think  of  this  ?  is  it  not  heaven 
begun  ?  What  is  heaven  but  the  perfection 
of  this  life  of  grace  ?  Believers  now  live 
with  Christ :  they  now  live  upon  Christ. 
Christ  is  their  all  ;  for  the  life  which  they 
now  live  in  the  flesh,  they  live  by  the  faith 
of  the  Son  of  God ;  and  what  a  blessed  life 
this  is  I  have  in  some  small  degree  experi- 
enced ;  and  what  the  Lord  has  taught  me  I 
have  endeavored  to  set  forth,  and  make 
public,  for  his  glory,  and  the  comfort  of 
weak  believers.  The  little  book  is  finished. 
May  my  ever  dear  Jesus  shine  upon  every 
page  as  you  read  it,  and  strengthen  your 
faith,  and  warm  your  heart  with  his  heavenly 
love  !  I  beg  your  prayers  for  a  blessing  on 
this  book :  I  beseech  you  do  not  forget  it, 
for  your  own  sakes  and  mine,  and  all  the 
household  of  faith.    To  Jesus'  love  I  com- 


42  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

mend  you  and  Mr.  ;  and  am,  by  many 

ties,  your  servant  in  the  Gospel, 

W.  R. 


LETTER  IX. 


July  3, 17ft4. 

I  HAVE  my  dear  friend's  letter  of  the  19th 
of  June  by  me,  and  thank  you  for  it.  You 
may  be  sure  I  am  glad  to  hear  the  little  book 
agrees  with  what  God  has  taught  you  ;  not 
glad  for  the  author's  sake,  but  for  Christ's 
sake,  and  for  yours.  For  Christ's  sake,  be- 
cause I  live,  and  preach,  and  write,  to  exalt 
that  royal  Saviour.  Oh  !  how  my  heart 
longs  to  see  him  crowned  in  your  soul,  when 
you  will  go  forth  as  the  command  is,  and  see 
King  Solomon  with  the  crown  of  grace  and 
glory  on  his  head,  wherewith  his  mother 
crowned  him  in  the  day  of  his  espousals,  and 
in  the  day  of  the  gladness  of  his  heart ;  then 
all  within  you  will  gladly  bow  to  his  sceptre : 
and  for  your  sake,  because  he  is  begun  to  be 
crowned,  since  you  say  you  have  experienced 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


43 


some  of  the  things  in  this  little  book.  I 
wish  I  may  help  you,  God  helping  me,  to 
experience  more  of  the  glorious  majesty  of 
our  King  of  kings,  when  I  come  down,  and 

preach  at  upon  that  text ;  and  when  I 

am  setting  forth  that  sovereign  Prince  and 
Saviour,  may  his  Spirit  then  crown  him  in 
your  conscience,  and  enthrone  him  in  your 
heart.  But  I  cannot  come  the  day  you  men- 
tion, because  it  is  my  last  Sunday  at  St.  Dun- 
stan's  ;  and  the  week  after  I  go  down  to 
Brighthelmstome,  and  shall  be  there  for  a 
fortnight,  and  then  set  out  for  your  place. 

Till  that  time  come,  I  shall  be  wishing 
you  what  I  am  always  desiring  for  myself,  a 
stronger  sense  and  clearer  feeling  of  my 
wants,  and  more  faith  to  live  upon  Jesus  for 
the  supply  of  them.  When  you  have  no- 
thing in  yourself  to  be  pleased  with,  all 
wretchedness  and  helplessness,  then  should 
Jesus  be  most  precious,  he  being  the  Al- 
mighty Saviour  of  such  a  wretched,  helpless 
creature.  A  man  that  has  a  plentiful  table, 
thinks  it  a  happiness  that  he  sits  down  hun- 
gry and  thirsty  ;  so  should  you,  when  every- 
thing within  you  is  saying,  "  Here  you  can 
do  nothing,  there  you  can  do  nothing,  without 


44  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

Christ.'"  Then  faith  should  say,  It  is  true  I 
cannot ;  hut  he  has  in  him  that  very  thing 
which  I  want,  and  he  has  promised  to  give 
it  me,  and  on  him  I  depend  for  it.  Such  a 
dependence  is  heaven  upon  earth.  I  find  it 
so  ;  nor  would  I  have  it  otherwise.  What 
would  become  of  me,  if  I  was  rich  and  in- 
creased Avith  goods,  and  found  no  need  of 
anything  1  Why,  then,  I  should  not  feel 
my  want  of  Christ ;  I  could  not  live  upon 
him,  and  so  should  become  comfortless.  My 
dear  friend,  believe  me,  I  have  been  trying 
all  ways  to  happiness  ;  but  all  have  failed 
me  till  this  one,  and  here  I  am  settled,  I 
want  nothing  but  Christ.  People  tell  me  I 
must  submit  to  this  ordinance,  and  be  joined 
to  such  a  church,  and  come  under  church 
discipline,  and  must  be  dipped,  &c.,  &c.  I 
have  Christ — I  want  no  more.  This  is  mak- 
ing Christ  of  him.  And  this  saves  us  from 
ten  thousand  thousand  snares  and  troubles 
in  life.  I  assure  you,  it  has  brought  me  such 
peace  as  I  scarce  thought  it  possible  to  have 
in  this  world.  Excuse  me,  then,  when  I 
wish  you  poorer  and  poorer  every  day,  that 
you  may  be  richer  in  Christ.  I  shall  not 
cease  to  remember  you  as  above,  till  you 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  45 

hear  farther  from  yours,  in  that  most  sweet 
and  lovely  Christ,  the  fairest,  yea,  the  very 
beauty  itself,  of  all  the  fair.  Oh  !  how  I 
love  him,  and  he  loves  a  poor  wretch. 

W.  R. 


LETTER  X. 


Hartlepool,  August,  7,  1764. 

I  RECEIVED  my  dear  friend's  letter,  and 
think  she  overlooks  our  ever-adorable  Jesus, 
in  setting  any  value  upon  a  poor,  dirty  worm. 
If  his  grace  raise  it  from  a  dunghill,  and 
set  it  upon  a  throne  with  his  princes,  who 
shall  have  the  glory — the  worm,  or  Jesus  ? 
Shall  any  of  his  due  praise  be  given  to  it  ? 
God  forbid !  There  ought  to  be  an  holy 
jealousy  in  you  and  me,  that  we  rob  not  our 
God  of  his  glory.  If  we  do  rob  him  of  ever 
so  little,  he  will  wither  all  our  comforts  and 
graces ;  but  if  we  give  him  all  the  glory, 
which  we  cannot  do,  unless  he  be  all,  and 
we  be  nothing ;  then  everything  will  go  well 


46  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

with  us.  We  get  exalted  as  we  are  hum- 
bled. The  lowest  is  the  highest,  which 
makes  me  fear  to  look  at  any  good  in  myself, 
unless  the  kind  hand  which  gave  it  me  be 
seen  at  the  same  time  ;  and  afraid  to  hear  of 
anything  good  in  myself,  unless  I  am  sure 
my  MASTER  has  all  the  praise.  The  plan 
upon  which  I  act,  herein,  is  this :  long  ex- 
perience and  many  humblings  have  brought 
me  to  it,  I  have  grieved  to  see  how  much 
of  my  time  ran  to  waste,  partly  for  want  of 
knowing  what  to  do,  and  partly  through  per- 
plexity about  what  was  done,  lest  it  was 
not  done  aright ;  and,  therefore,  I  was  led  to 
endeavor  to  bring  the  business  of  every  day 
into  a  little  compass,  that,  at  one  view,  I 
might  satisfy  myself  whether  I  had  answered 
the  end  of  living  another  day. 

There  is  no  doubt  left  about  my  belonging 
to  Christ ;  so  that  this  matter  is  not  to  be 
brought  into  court  again.  It  has  been  tried 
and  determined,  and  is  now  a  settled  point. 
What  have  I  then  to  do  ?  What  is  the 
work  of  every  day  ?  Why,  it  is  to  be  living 
still  in  a  constant  dependence  upon  the  Lord 
Christ,  and  to  be  growing  every  day  in  the 
knowledge  and  experience  of  that  depend- 
ence. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


47 


The  dependence  is  thus  expressed,  the 
JUST  SHALL  LIVE  BY  HIS  FAITH  :  being  justi- 
fied, or  made  just,  he  [shall  not  live  by  any 
works,  by  any  stock  of  grace,  by  being  faith- 
ful to  any  talents  received,  but  he  shall  live 
upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  by  faith,  receiv- 
ing from  him  continually  grace  for  grace. 

The  believer's  growth  in  this  his  depend- 
ence is  thus  spoken  of :  Grow  in  grace,  and 
in  the  knowledge  of  God  our  Saviour.  Grace 
is  the  free  love  of  God  to  poor  sinners  in  the 
whole  plan  of  salvation — from  first  to  last,  all 
is  of  grace ;  and  in  the  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience of  this  there  is  a  growth.  The 
believer  learns  more  clearly  that  all  is  of 
grace,  and  that  he  has  no  hand  in  saving 
himself,  but  an  empty  receiving  hand.  Grace 
comes  to  pull  him  down,  and  to  set  Christ 
up.  When  the  heart  is  established  with 
grace,  the  creature  is  stripped  quite  bare, 
without  a  rag  to  put  on,  or  money  to  buy 
any,  or  wisdom  to  know  where  to  get  it. 
Grace  pulls  down  all  high  things,  levels  all 
distinctions,  and  leaves  the  poor  creature 
nothing  at  all  to  trust  in,  or  to  boast  of,  but 
to  live  upon  Christ's  alms ;  so  that  the  sense 
of  our  lost,  guilty,  helpless  state,  is  the  only 


48 


LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 


thing  which  can  make  us  willing  to  receive 
a  whole  Christ,  and  the  abiding  sense  o£  this 
will  keep  us  willing  to  live  upon  a  whole 
Christ.  And  while  a  believer  lives  thus, 
how  can  he  grow  in  grace,  if  he  be  not  dis- 
covering every  day  more  of  the  depth  of  ini- 
quity which  is  in  him  ?  Grace  cannot  be 
magnified,  unless  nature  be  humbled.  Jesus 
Christ  cannot  become  more  precious,  unless 
SELF  become  more  vile.  As  the  believer 
sinks  in  his  own  eyes,  Christ  rises  in  his 
esteem.  And  this,  in  my  opinion,  is  grow- 
ing in  grace.  Growing  in  the  sense  of  our 
weakness,  magnifies  Christ's  strength — our 
sinfulness,  his  righteousness — our  folly,  his 
wisdom — -our  misery,  his  happiness — our  out- 
ward sorrowful  state,  his  inward  peace  and 
joy.  Thus  the  growth  in  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  is  closely  connected  with  the  know- 
ledge of  self  And  that  makes  me  afraid  of 
anything  which  tends  to  Aveaken  this  view 
of  things;  because  it  would  weaken  my  de- 
pendence upon  Christ.  I  should  not  see  nor 
feel  my  want  of  him  so  much,  which  Avould 
stop  the  working  of  faith,  and  thereby  ecHpse 
the  glory  of  Jesus.  You  see  my  jealousy. 
And,  indeed,  I  have  great  reason  for  it. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE, 


49 


After  all  my  experience,  which  you  have 
read  in  the  Life  of  Faith,  I  have  a  revolting 
heart.  Still  I  would  turn  from  and  live 
without  Christ,  if  I  could.  Pride  puts  me 
upon  it.  Oh,  it  is  the  very  devil,  that  pride ; 
it  attacks  not  the  heel,  but  the  heart  of 
Christ,  and  wants  to  rob  him  of  his  crown — 
and  I  have  so  smarted  for  it,  that  the  most 
distant  approach  is  terrible  to  me.  Think 
what  you  will  of  me,  but  never  mention  me 
without  mentioning  the  grace  of  my  dearest 
Lord,  who  has  made  me  all  that  I  ever  shall 
be,  but  sin  and  misery. 

My  sweet  Jesus  hath  contrived  so  much 
work  for  me  in  these  parts,  and  he  is  so  evi- 
dently and  powerfully  with  us,  that  I  cannot 
leave  my  neiglibors,  who  crowd  to  hear  far 
more  than  ever,  and  they  are  to  me  as  my 
own  soul.  We  are,  beyond  all  description, 
happy  in  our  loving,  lovely  Lord.  Such 
meetings  I  never  knew — and  twice  a  day — 
and  many  churches  open.  Oh  !  that  I  could 
but  stay;  I  am  so  knit  in  heart  to  my  neigh- 
bours, and  the  most  of  them  come  and  sit 
quietly  to  hear,  that  I  know  not  how  to  leave 
them.  But  it  must  be.  Adieu,  my  fi'iend ; 
remember  yours  in  our  precious  Lumanuel, 
3  W.  R, 


50 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


LETTER  XI. 


Dec.  29,  17W. 

All  the  blessings  of  this  good  season  be 
with  my  dear  friend.  That  man  for  whom 
Christ  was  bom  is  the  greatest,  richest  prince 
upon  earth;  his  revenues,  his  honors,  his 
mighty  allies,  his  everlasting  kingdom,  are 
beyond  all  conception.  Compared  to  what 
he  is,  and  has,  crowns  and  empires  are  but 
playthings  for  little  children.  And  he  comes 
to  all  his  dignity  by  Jehovah's  taking  flesh, 
through  which  wonderful  event  he  can  be 
made  one  spirit  with  him.  He  took  our  flesh 
that  we  might  take  his  Spirit ;  He  was  born 
on  earth,  that  we  might  have  a  new  birth 
from  heaven ;  He  took  our  sins  that  we  might 
take  his  righteousness — and  our  miseries, 
that  we  might  be  heirs  with  him  of  his  hap- 
piness. O  what  an  astonishing  transaction 
is  this !  How  full  of  the  richest  grace,  flow- 
ing over  with  everlasting  love  !  This  great 
and  blessed  event  lay  in  the  breast  of  Jeho- 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


51 


vah  in  eternity.  He  ever  had  it  in  his  heart ; 
it  was  his  beloved  plan  and  purpose  that  he 
would  take  flesh,  and  display  all  the  glories 
of  his  Godhead  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ. 
This  was  his  gracious  will  and  everlasting 
counsel,  to  which  all  his  works  have  tended, 
and  for  the  executing  of  which  in  its  full 
perfection  all  things  are  now  working  toge- 
ther. When  the  fullness  of  time  was  come, 
O  what  joy  was  there  in  heaven  among  the 
angels  who  kept  their  first  estate  !  They 
thought  it  a  very  high  honor  to  he  the  mes- 
sengers of  it,  even  to  poor  shepherds,  with 
whom  they  could  rejoice  that  their  God  and 
our  God  was  become  incarnate.    Behold,  I 

BRING  YOU  GLAD  TIDINGS  OF  GREAT  JOY  glad 

tidings,  indeed ;  for  they  include  all  the  good 
which  Infinite  mercy  has  to  give,  and  the 
sinner  can  receive.  Hereby  light  comes  to 
them  who  are  sitting  in  darkness,  and  life  to 
them  who  are  in  the  shadow  of  death — par- 
don to  the  guilty — comfort  to  the  mourning 
— liberty  to  the  captives — strength  to  the 
helpless — and  heaven  to  the  miserable.  How 
blessed  a  change  do  they  experience,  when 
they  know  and  can  say,  Unto  us  a  child  is 
hom,  unto  us  a  Son  is  given  !    For  this  is  the 


52  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

saving  truth,  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  man 
is  Jehovah,  God  and  man  in  one  Christ,  the 
child  born  is  the  mighty  God,  and  the  Son 
given  is  the  everlasting  Father ;  the  Virgin's 
Son  is  Immanuel,  God  with  us,  and  her  in- 
fant babe  is  her  eternal  Saviour.  Except 
she  had  believed  this  she  could  not  have 
been  saved,  nor  can  we  ;  and  yet  it  is  a  truth 
so  far  out  of  the  reach  of  man's  understand- 
ing, that  he  could  never  have  thought  of  it 
unless  it  had  been  revealed  ;  nor  can  he  now 
comprehend  it,  unless  he  be  taught  it  of 
God,  for  no  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the 
Lord,  is  Jehovah,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Here,  then,  my  dear  friend,  is  matter  of 
thankfulness  to  you  and  me,  that  we  are 
taught  this  of  God.  Happy  Christmas  to 
us,  since  we  have  lived  to  hear  and  under- 
stand the  great  mystery  of  godliness — God 
MANIFEST  IN  THE  FLESH.  Happier,  Still,  that 
Ave  believe  it  ;  for  Avhomsoever  the  Holy 
Ghost  enlightens  with  the  knowledge  of 
this  saving  tmth,  he  also  gives  faith  to  re- 
ceive it — to  trust  in  Christ  as  God — to  de- 
pend upon  him  as  the  almighty  Saviour — to 
rely  upon  his  finished  work — and  to  lay  no 
other  foundation  for  any  grace  or  glory,  but 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


53 


the  life  and  death  of  this  ever-blessed  God- 
man.  This  is  the  way  in  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  glorifies  Jesus.  He  gives  the  believer 
such  views  of  the  infinite  fullness  and  ever- 
lasting sufficiency  of  Immanuel,  that  he  is 
quite  satisfied  with  him.  His  conscience  is 
brought  into  sweet  peace  through  the  sprink- 
ling of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  of  God  ;  and 
when  guilt  would  arise,  and  unbelieving 
fears  disturb,  he  is  enabled  through  faith  in 
Jesus  to  maintain  his  peace ;  because  what- 
ever rendered  him  hateful  to  God,  he  sees  it 
removed  by  his  adorable  surety ;  and  what- 
ever God  could  love  him  for,  he  finds  him- 
self interested  in  it  through  the  infinitely 
precious  obedience  of  the  Lord  our  right- 
eousness. Thus  he  enters  into  the  promised 
rest ;  thus  he  maintains  himself  in  it.  He 
can  desire  nothing,  but  the  Saviour  has  it ; 
and  when  he  asks  he  receives  it  from  him : 
so  that  the  Saviour  more  than  fills  up  all  his 
wants,  for  he  satisfies  all  his  wishes  ;  he  says, 
by  sweet  experience.  This  is  all  my  salva- 
tion AND  ALL  MY  DESIRE. 

And  what  greatly  adds  still  to  this  happi- 
ness is,  that  it  is  ever,  ever  growing :  may 
you  and  I  find  it  so!    As  the  believer  is 


54  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

made  to  see  his  absolute  safety  in  Jesus,  so 
does  he  partake  more  of  his  graces  and  bless- 
ings. In  hearing  and  reading  the  descrip- 
tions of  the  Lord  Christ  in  his  Divine  per- 
son, and  in  his  most  gracious  offices,  the 
Holy  Spirit  sets  in  with  those  descriptions, 
and  presents  the  inestimably  glorious  Saviour 
before  the  eye  of  faith  with  the  most  attract- 
ing loveliness.  All  the  sweets,  and  beau- 
ties, and  joys,  scattered  throughout  the  uni- 
verse, are  only  little  drops  out  of  the  ocean 
of  Jesus'  fullness.  There  is  not  any  object 
made  to  gratify  any  sense,  but  the  Holy 
Spirit  shows  the  believer  that  very  thing 
in  its  highest  perfection  in  the  infinitely 
rich  Saviour,  and  gives  him  a  delightful  earn- 
est, and  by  faith  a  foretaste  of  it ;  by 
which  means  his  whole  heart  and  soul  grow 
entirely  in  love  with  that  beauty  of  all  beau- 
ties, and  he  says,  and  it  is  heaven  to  feel  it. 
This  is  my  beloved,  and  this  is  my  friend. 

I  have  more,  far  more  to  say,  but   is 

waiting.  Pray,  my  dear  friend,  leave  forever 
out  of  your  mind  and  writing — if  I  knew — 
IF  I  believe.  Oh,  why  do  you  doubt  ?  The 
good  Lord  keep  you  and  yours.  I  am,  in 
bonds  which  cannot  be  broken,  yours  in  Je- 
sus, W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


55 


LETTER  XII. 


Feb.  14,  1705. 

My  dear  Friend  : — I  shall  be  filling  up 

this  paper  with   .    First,  Thanking  my 

dear  Master  for  his  great  kindness  to  you. 
From  my  heart  I  praise  him — may  you  and 
yours  give  him  the  whole  glory  of  his  tempo- 
ral and  spiritual  blessings. 

Secondly,  I  pray  liim  to  continue  his  kind- 
ness to  you — a  thankful  temper  always  has 
fresh  matter  for  thankfulness.  To  praise 
him  for  the  past,  is  the  sure  way  to  secure 
future  mercies.  Prayer  and  praise  live  and 
die  together. 

Thirdly,  I  tell  you  of  his  goodness  to  me. 
I  am  nothing  but  a  miracle  of  his  goodness — 
the  most  astonishing  that  ever  was !  all,  all 
from  my  first  breath  to  this  I  am  now  draw- 
ing, is  mere  mercy  and  grace,  and  so  it  will 
be  for  ever  and  ever.  My  ministry  is  won- 
derful, that  such  a  dumb  dog  should  speak — 
such  a  very  devil  in  flesh  should  feel  what 
he  says  of  that  eternally  precious  Jesus,  and 


56 


LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 


he  the  means  of  making  others  feel  it,  and 
should  have  no  doubt  of  feeling  it  blessedly 
to  eternity.  Oh,  what  delightful  views  do 
these  things  give  me  of  my  sweetest  Lord 
and  dearest  Jesus !  He  seems  willing  I 
should  preach  more,  and  have  a  church  in  the 
city  ;  but  he  will  not  let  it  come  too  easily, 
lest  we  should  have  whereof  to  glory.  We 
are  at  law  about  it,  and  are  like  to  be  a 
great  while,  but  in  the  mean  time  he  is  do- 
ing all  things  well.  The  very  moment  all 
things  are  ready,  the  church  Avill  be  opened ; 
and  if  it  never  is,  he  does  not  want  me 
there,  with  which  I  am  satisfied. 

Fourthly,  Does  all  this  teach  you  and  me 
to  trust  this  dear  Lamb  of  God  ?  It  should 
teach  us,  I  hope  it  does.  How  safely  may 
we  trust  his  faithfulness  ;  how  happily  rest 
upon  his  almighty  love.  All  things  for  the 
good  of  soul  and  body  are  promised  to  him 
that  believeth.  O  that  the  Lord  may  increase 
your  faith  and  mine  !  In  an  hour  of  need 
may  you  find  him  very,  very  near  to  your 
heart,  and  filling  you  with  joy  and  peace  in 
believing. 

To  Jesus  I  commend  you  and  youi*s  most 
heartily,  being  tied  to  you  in  him  by  the 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


57 


bonds  of  his  everlasting  love.  Jesus  bless 
you.    Amen.  W.  R. 


LETTER  XIII. 


May  25,  1765. 

My  dear  Friend  : — Having  an  opportu- 
nity of  sending  a  note  by  dear  Mr.  ,  I 

could  not  withhold  my  pen.  What  thanks 
ought  we  to  give  to  our  gracious  Lord  for 
his  mercies  to  you  !  What  ought  you  your- 
self to  give !  Can  you  look  back  upon  any 
part  of  your  life,  especially  the  last  part 
of  it,  and  is  there  anything  upon  which  you 
cannot  write.  This  is  mercy  ?  Oh,  it  is  all, 
from  the  first  to  the  last,  to  them  who  are 
chosen,  and  called,  and  believe,  and  live  by 
faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  mercy — from  ever- 
lasting to  everlasting !  A  mercy  before  time, 
a  mercy  in  time,  a  mcrey  beyond  time ! 
Where  is  the  fountain-head,  the  spring  of 
this  mercy  ?  In  the  covenant  of  the  eternal 
Three.  What  gives  rise  to  it?  Nothing  but 
the  mere  grace  and  free  love  of  the  Divine 
persons.  A  motive  cannot  rise  but  in  the  pur- 
3* 


58  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

pose  and  breast  of  God  himself.  But  on  whom 
do  the  streams  of  this  fountain  flow  with 
their  quickening,  comforting,  sanctifying, 
glorifying  streams  ?  On  the  miserable,  and 
none  else;  for  none  else  are  the  objects  of 
mercy.  On  such  as  you  and  me.  Mercy 
has  made  a  rich  provision  to  supply  all 
our  wants,  to  pardon  all  our  sins,  to  save  us 
from  all  misery,  to  entitle  us  to  all  glory. 
And  what !  is  mercy  chiefly  glorious  in  re- 
serving all  its  blessings  to  another  world  ? 
the  greatest  it  does,  but  not  all.  All  are 
now  enjoyed  in  reversion  by  faith ;  and  all 
things  are  working  together  in  Jesus'  hands 
to  bring  about  the  full  and  final  enjoyment, 
that  the  mercy  which  is  above  all  the  works  of 
God  may  have  for  ever  and  ever  all  the  glory. 
So  far  I  wrote  on  Saturday  night,  on  Mr. 

  sending  me  word  he  should  go  on 

Monday. 

Sunday  Morning. 

What  a  mercy  does  this  day  call  to  our 
remembrance !  The  Saviour,  risen  and  as- 
cended, sends  down  the  divine  and  faithful 
witness  for  himself — He  shall  testifrj  of  me — 
bear  witness  to  my  person,  Jehovah  self-ex- 
istent— my  work  as  perfect  as  Jehovah  could 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


59 


make  it.  He  shall  testify  of  my  grace,  how 
free  it  is,  how  full  it  is,  and  shall  enable  the 
sinner,  any  poor  wretch,  however  vile  in  his 
own  eyes,  to  trust  his  soul  in  the  hands  of 
Jesus.  And  having  enabled  the  sinner  to 
do  this,  then  he  will  testify  of  Jesus,  that  he 
has  received  him,  that  he  is  safe  in  the  arms 
and  may  be  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of  Je- 
sus' love.  Thus  he  will  make  the  soul 
enamored  with  Jesus ;  there  will  appear 
such  consummate  beauty,  such  infinite  love- 
liness in  his  precious  person,  as  will  eclipse 
the  glory  of  all  other  lovers.  There  will 
appear  such  true  happiness  in  fellowship  with 
him,  as  will  quite  dethrtjne  the  former  idols. 
And  when  the  foolish  heart  would  depart,  he 
will  not  let  it.  Then  will  he  testify  of  Je- 
sus, "  To  whom  wouldst  thou  go  ?  Who 
has  eternal  life  to  give,  but  him  ?  Turn, 
turn  again  to  thy  rest,  O  my  soul !" 

If  the  soul  is  mourning  ?  He  will  testify 
of  the  joy  that  is  in  Jesus.  If  the  soul  be 
burdened  ?  Cast  the  burden,  says  he,  on 
thy  Lord.  If  the  soul  has  lost  any  creature 
comfort  ?  Let  it  go,  says  he,  Jesus  is  still 
thy  salvation  and  thy  great  reward.  If  the 
soul  be  grieved  with  indvvelUng  sin  ?    It  is 


60  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

pardoned,  says  he ;  and  the  Spirit  of  life, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  hath  made  thee 
free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  of  death. 

Whatever  the  wants  of  the  believer  are, 
the  Spirit's  office  is  to  testify  of  Jesus,  there 
IS  THE  THING  YOU  WANT ;  and  to  glorify  Je- 
sus THERE  YOU  HAVE  IT  FREELY. 

My  friend,  what  mercy  is  this  !  The 
Spirit  Jehovah  abides  with  you,  to  testify  of 
Jesus  and  his  perfect  salvation  ;  and  to  glo- 
rify Jesus  by  enabling  you  to  live  safe  and 
blessed  upon  him,  making  him  not  only  all, 
but  also  ALL  in  all.  And  when  he  has 
taught  you  thus  to  glorify  Jesus,  he  will 
keep  you,  (oh,  that 's  sweet !)  by  his  almighty 
power,  till  he  bring  you  to  the  heaven  of 
heavens — the  sight  and  enjoyment  of  dear 
Jesus,  eternally  dear  and  lovely  Jesus. 

Is  it  indeed  so  ?  Why,  then,  commit 
yourself  to  this  glorious  Immanuel.  Wait 
for  the  Spirit's  teaching  you  all  his  ways, 
and  showing  you  all  are  well.  Remember, 
he  lias  lent  you  your  chief  earthly  comfort 
only  just  so  long  as  he  pleases.  When  he 
takes  it,  hush,  not  a  sigh  :  Be  still,  and  know 
that  lam  God,  a  sovereign — This  commands 
resignation  ;   but  the  Lamb's  voice  is  all 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


61 


love.  I  take  him  away,  that  you  may  love 
me  more,  and  be  happier  in  my  love.  Let 
it  he  so,  my  dear  Lord  ;  he  thou  but  present, 
ALL  is  v^^ell.    The  Lord  bless  you  and  yours. 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XIV. 


Lambeth,  July  13,  1763. 

My  dear  Friend  : — I  could  not  answer 
your  kind  letter  till  this  day;  my  cause 
has  been  to  be  heard  from  day  to  day 
before  my  Lord  Chancellor,  but  put  off, 
and  yesterday  was  put  off  to  the  next 
term :  so  that  I  have,  through  the  good 
will  of  my  God,  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
you  once  more,  and  to  talk  together  by  the 
way  of  our  ever  lovely,  infinitely  precious 
Jesus,  who  has  so  won  my  heart,  that  I  have 
no  relish  (like  one  in  love)  to  talk  of  any- 
tliing  but  my  Beloved.    Tuesday  morning 

I  purpose  to  set  out,  and  hope  to  be  at  

about  noon  Wednesday  next,  where  I  shall 
be  glad  to  meet  (at  the  old  house)  some  of 
my  dear  fellow  travelers  from   .  Oh, 


62 


LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 


that  our  meeting  may  be  to  Jesus'  glory ! 
I  am,  in  the  best  of  bonds  of  Jesus'  own 
tying,  yours,  W.  R. 


LETTER  XV. 


Lambeth,  Aug.  20,  1765. 

My  dear  friend  in  our  common  Lord — of 
whose  mercies  I  am  an  amazing  monument — 
what  can  I  say  to  you  of  me  and  mine,  but 
write  upon  all — grace — grace.  I  will  give 
you  an  account  of  my  life  some  weeks  past, 
and  you  will  see  the  goodness  of  my  kind 
Jesus  in  all  his  dealings  with  me.  When  I 
was  at  Hartlepool,  I  heard  from  London  that 
Dr.  Griffith  thought  my  wife  was  sick  unto 
death,  and  he  had  no  hopes  of  her  recovery. 
This  alarmed  me ;  and  I  set  out  immediate- 
ly, and  stopped  not  till  I  got  to  London, 
where  I  found  things  as  bad  as  I  had  been 
made  to  believe ;  but  Dr.  Griffith  gave  her 
something,  to  which  the  Lord  gave  his 
blessing,  and  it  abated  the  fury  of  her  dis- 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


63 


temper,  God  having  mercy  on  her,  and  on 

me  also.    Lady  H          pressing  me  still 

to  come  down  to  ,  my  wife  gave  leave 

for  me  to  go,  and  I  went  down  to  Derby  Sat- 
urday se'nnight.  We  had  there  a  most  re- 
freshing time  ;  fifteen  pulpits  were  open — 
showers  of  grace  came  down — sinners  in 
great  numbers  awakened,  and  believers  com- 
forted.   Mrs.    was  taken  ill,  and  was 

oi'dered  to  Bath,  which  broke  up  the  family. 
They  went  away  two  days  after  I  got  down  ; 
but  I  staid  to  preach  all  the  week,  and  espe- 
cially on  Sunday  last  at  Derby,  where  I  was 
much  opposed  by  the  mayor  and  the  church- 
wardens, and  the  Arian  party ;  but  the  Lord 
stood  by  me,  and  I  was  in  the  morning  at 
the  great  church,  and  in  the  afternoon  at  St. 
Werburgh's.  In  the  evening  I  got  into  the 
fly  alone  {in  good  company)  ;  and  upon  com- 
ing home  last  night,  I  found  my  wife  had 
relapsed,  and  was  again  in  danger ;  but  again 
the  Great  Physician  had  interposed,  and  we 
are  in  hopes  all  will  be  well  again  soon. 
Mercy,  mercy  is  above  all  his  works. 

1\\  these  proceedings  of  Divine  Providence, 
I  admire  several  things ;  such  as. 

First,  How  odd  it  appears  that  friends  so 


64  LETTERS   OF    THE    LATE  ^ 

dear  and  beloved  as  you  at  ,  should  be 

passed  by.    When  I  went  through  ,  it 

was  night ;  and,  thinks  I,  who  would  have 

thought  I  should  have  gone  by  Lady  M  's 

door  without  calUng  ?  It  is  the  Lord's  do- 
ing. As  to  you,  I  only  sent  my  prayers  for 
you,  of  which  I  hope  you  had  the  benefit. 

Secondly.  Here  is  a  plain  lesson  for  you. 
Did  you  not  expect  me  ?  Did  not  you  build 
upon  my  coming  ?  You  was  disappointed. 
Why  ?  That  you  might  cease  from  man. 
Oh !  it's  good  to  be  weaned  from  creature 
props  and  dependencies.  Whatever  does 
this,  is  a  great  blessing.  If,  therefore,  ray  not 
coming  has  made  you  come  nearer  to  Christ, 
I  would  then  rejoice ;  yea,  and  therein  I  do 
rejoice.  What  of  me  ?  Down  with  me, 
and  up  with  Christ.  But, 

Thirdly,  I  can  assure  you  my  heart  was 
divided.  I  wanted  to  be  at  home,  and  I 
wanted  to  stay.  Duty  and  affection  called 
me  one  way ;  in  spirit  I  was  and  am,  with 
great  respect,  your  obliged  friend  and  ser- 
vant, W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


65 


LETTTER  XVI. 


November  1,  1765. 

My  dear  Friend: — Your  letter  of  Sep- 
tember OtJi  would  not  have  lain  so  long 
Avithout  an  answer,  but  it  was  at  my  house 
at  Lambeth,  to  which  I  expected  daily  to 
go  from  Brighthelmstone  to  Bath.  But 
Lady  H   having  excused  my  attend- 
ance at  the  dedication  of  her  new  chapel,  I 
therefore  sent  to  town  for  my  letters,  and, 
among  the  rest,  found  yours;  for  which, 
what  shall  I  say  ?  What  am  I,  the  very 
vilest  of  the  vile,  that  any  of  the  Lord's 
people  should  look  on  me  ?  But  to  think 
of  his  looking  on  me,  whose  eyes  are  a  flame 
of  lire,  and  yet  to  look  with  love ;  oh,  what 
an  humbling  thought  is  that !  I  declare,  the 
more  I  daily  learn  of  myself,  I  grow  more 
amazed  how  Jesus  should  love  such  an  one. 
But  he  is  all  grace,  or  rather  grace  is  Jesus — • 
not  something  distinct  from  him,  but  he  him- 
self— his  name,  because  it  is  his  nature. 


66 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


Unto  him  be  the  praise  of  your  kindness  to 
one  who  has  not  a  single  thing  to  recom- 
mend him  to  your  regard  but  what  Jesus' 
free  grace  has  most  marvelously  bestowed 
upon  him.  Let  him  have  the  glory ;  for  he 
richly  deserves  it  all.  Whatever  good  I 
receive  in  this  world,  spiritual  or  temporal, 
I  am  indebted  for  it  to  his  mere  bounty — I 
crown  him  for  it.  Take  it  off  my  head,  and 
put  it  upon  his.  This  is  heaven  below ;  for 
they  are  doing  the  same  in  heaven  above. 
As  we  throw  the  crown  of  grace  at  his  feet, 
so  do  they  the  crown  of  glory.  Thus  through 
him  I  thank  you  for  your  letter,  and  for  all 
your  favors. 

As  to  what  you  write  about  my  not  calUng 
on  you  in  my  journey,  your  disappointment 
was  not,  could  not  be,  greater  than  mine. 
I  learned  from  it  a  good  lesson.  It's  very 
profitable  to  take  notice  of  what  providences 
say :  they  have  a  tongue,  and  speak  loudly ; 
and  the  spiritual  ear  hears,  and  receives  in- 
struction. You  see  what  man  is,  and  what 
dependence  is  to  be  laid  upon  him.  As 
I  was  going  along  the  road,  I  heard  a  voice 
saying.  Cease  ye  from  man,  from  yourself, 
from  others:  put  no  confidence  in  them,  in 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


67 


your  own  good,  in  their  good,  or  in  any  good 
to  be  received  from  them.  The  command 
is,  Put  not  your  trust  in  primes,  nor  in  amj 
child  of  man,  be  he  wise,  or  great,  or 
esteemed  good.  Nay,  look  not  at  them,  but 
with  a  single  eye  look  unto  Jesus,  In  him 
you  will  see  everything  to  put  your  confi- 
dence in — grace,  matchless  grace  in  his  heart 
and  lips,  heautij  beyond  compare,  riches  un- 
searchable, honor  infinite,  righteousness  ever- 
lasting, holiness  holy  making,  and  that  forever. 
And  all  these  he  has  to  give,  freely  to  give, 
to  the  unworthy.  Look  at  him,  believing, 
and  he  is  yours,  and  all  he  has  and  is.  The 
sight  will  change  you  into  his  image.  As 
the  sun  shining  puts  his  glory  upon  every 
object,  so  does  Jesus.  O  cease  then  from 
man — look  not  at  blind  man,  dark  and  be- 
nighted— look  not  at  this  heavy  thick  earth, 
nor  at  any  of  its  glittering  toys  :  they  shine 
only  as  shined  upon.  Cease  from  them  all, 
and  look  to  Jesus.  The  good  Spirit  direct 
and  fix  your  eyes  and  mine  upon  him,  till 
w^e  see  heaven  in  his  face. 

The  same  voice  still  pursuing  me,  I  per- 
ceived that  I  was  not  only  to  cease  from 
looking  to  man  and  all  human  things,  but 


68  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

also  to  cease  from  depending  on  them.  I 
was  not  to  live  upon  them.  I  could,  as  it 
were,  hear  a  voice.  Live  not  upon  us,  but  live 
upon  the  Prince  of  Life.  He  is  a  never-failing 
fountain  of  life  ;  he  speaks,  and  the  dead 
live  ;  his  voice  makes  and  keeps  alive.  We 
live  hij  him,  and  live  on  him,  and  in  him. 
All  other  persons  and  things  but  him  con- 
cern only  the  perishing,  dying  life  of  the 
body ;  but  the  life  which  he  gives  is  his  own 
spiritual,  divine,  eternal  life.  I  cannot  wish 
you  a  greater  blessing  than  to  hear  with 
power,  and  to  find  what  I  did  in  my  journey : 
Cease  ye  from  living  upon  man,  and  live  upon 
me.  So  we  do,  Lord  Christ ;  the  life  which 
we  now  live  in  the  flesh  we  live  by  the  faith 
of  the  Son  of  God. 

From  hence  I  was  led  to  see  the  necessity 
of  ceasing  to  hope  for  liappiness  from  all 
these  things  about  us.  They  have  it  not  to 
give.  It  grows  not  out  of  that  earth  which 
layeth  in  wickedness,  nor  can  it  be  increased 
by  any  good  under  the  sun ;  because  it  is 
one  of  the  perfect  gifts  which  cometh  down 
from  the  Father  of  Lights.  And  when  it  is 
given  by  his  grace,  and  received  by  faith, 
then  this  true  philosopher's  stone  turns  all 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


69 


things  into  gold.  Faith  living  upon  Jesus 
can  turn  those  things  into  happiness,  which 
in  their  own  nature  could  produce  nothing 
but  misery.  Wonderful  transmutation !  it 
changes  darkness  into  light,  death  into  life, 
weakness  into  strength,  sin  into  righteous- 
ness, mourning  into  joy,  hell  into  heaven. 
By  this  faith  we  have  Christ  in  us,  the  hope 
of  glory — Christ  dwelling  in  the  heart ;  and 
where  he  is,  there  all  he  has  is.  All  things 
are  ours — salvation  from  all  evil,  a  title  to 
the  love  of  God,  and  to  the  glory  of  God, 
and  a  fitness  also  and  meetness  for  the  eter- 
nal enjoyment  of  God  in  liis  love  and  glory. 
Cease  ye  from  man,  then,  and  all  is  yours. 
Oh,  may  you  and  I  learn  to  cease  from  all 
schemes  of  happiness  in  any  object  but  in 
Jesus.  The  more  we  live  to  him,  the  more 
dead  he  will  make  us  to  everything  else. 
He  will  let  you  love  your  relations,  nay,  he 
commands  you  to  love  them ;  but  then  you 
must  take  them  from  him  as  his  bounty,  and 
use  them  as  his  gifts,  dependent  on  his  sove- 
reign will,  free  to  give,  free  to  take  away, 
when  and  what  he  pleases.  When  your 
will  can  be  made  thus  really  resigned  to  his 
will,  then  he  will  make  you  happy,  and  you 


70  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

will  feel  something  of  their  blessed  oneness 
with  him,  who  have  no  will  but  his,  and 
therefore  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he 
goeth.  I  mark  what  you  say  upon  that 
point.  A  resigned  will  is  not  where  there 
is  no  rising  of  the  flesh  against  God's  will, 
but  where  there  is  victory  over  the  will  of 
the  flesh.  Pray  take  notice  of  this ;  and  try 
whether  you  have  not  this  evidence  of  your 
adoption,  that  you  desire  the  Father's  will, 
and  not  yours,  may  be  done. 

I  am  laboring  at  Brighthelmstone  among  a 
sweet  people,  with  whom  I  am  exceedingly 
happy.  The  work  of  dear  Jesus  prospers 
among  us.  His  person  grows  more  beloved, 
his  work  more  precious ;  fellowship  with 
him  more  close  and  intimate,  and  therefore 
more  happy.  Our  hearts,  warmed  with  his 
love,  are  warm  with  brotherly  love,  stirring 
up  one  another  to  press  forward  for  the  prize 
of  our  high  calling — that  is,  to  win  Christ, 
and  be  found  with  him  at  the  hour  of  death, 
and  at  the  day  of  judgment.  May  the  same 
Lord  Christ  grow  dearer  to  you  and  yours 
every  day. 

I  am  always  bound  to  pray  for  your  wel- 
fare, being  by  many  ties  yours, 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


71 


LETTER  XVII. 


All  spiritual  blessings  be  on  my  dear 
friend  !  Whatever  the  tender  heart  or  the 
almighty  arm  of  the  loving  Jesus  has  to  be- 
stow, may  it  be  all  yours !  You  made  me 
promise  to  inform  you  of  my  motions,  which 
I  now  fulfill. 

God  willing,  I  shall  be  next  Sunday  at 

Mr.  C.'s ;  on  Monday  morning  in  Y  ; 

from  thence  I  shall  make  the  best  of  my  way 

to  T  ,  and,  if  I  hear  nothing  of  you 

there,  I  shall  proceed  to  A  .    My  time 

is  short,  so  that  I  can  but  just  stay  to  take 
my  leave  of  my  friends.  "What  a  life  is  this ! 
hurry,  hurry,  hurry,  from  place  to  place, 
from  this  object  to  that ;  weary  with  seeking, 
but  never  finding  rest.  Happy  Christian 
who  is  fixed  to  a  point !  Go  where  he  will, 
ONE  object  is  his  all.  The  crucified  Sa- 
viour is  his  happiness ;  his  perfect,  everlast- 
ing happiness;  and  this  heaven  he  carries 


72 


LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 


about  with  him.  No  time,  no  place,  no  cir- 
cumstances, make  any  change.  He  has  one 
Lord,  one  faith,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day, 
and  forever.  Come  pain,  sickness,  poverty, 
death,  the  Saviour's  love  and  power  bear 
him  up.  Come  temptations  of  all  kinds,  I 
will  be  with  thee  in  the  hour  of  temptation? 
says  the  Lord  God.  Where  he  is,  nothing 
need  be  feared,  because  nothing  can  hurt. 
Oh,  my  friend,  the  true  knowledge  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  an  infallible  cure  for  all  the  mise- 
ries which  come  into  the  world  by  sin. 
There  is  no  evil  of  mind  or  body,  temporal 
or  eternal,  but  our  precious  dear  Lord  is  by 
office  engaged  to  remove  it.  And  shall  not 
you  and  I  value  and  love  him  ?  What  can 
we  set  our  hearts  upon  ;  what  can  bid  so 
high  for  them  as  this  adorable  Saviour  ?  May 
he  enable  us  to  give  them  to  Him,  and  then 
he  will  sanctify  all  their  inferior  loves  ;  will 
let  us  love  them  as  flowing  from  his  grace  ; 
so  that  this  love  will  make  us  love  him  more. 
This  love  is  Heaven  !  All  joy  and  glory  is 
in  it.  And,  as  for  the  happiness  of  his  re- 
deemed people,  we  shall  never  know  how 
great  it  is  till  we  join  the  Church  above.  It 
will  be  a  glorious  meeting,    Jesus  bless  you ! 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  73 

Amen,  amen!  I  am,  for  his  sake,  your 
faithful  friend,  W.  R. 


LETTER  XVIII. 


November  25, 1765. 

My  dear  Friend  : — I  have  much  to  tell  you 
of  that  ever  dear  and  precious  Lover — your 
best  friend  and  mine .  I  had  a  token  of  his  good- 
ness in  your  last,  for  which  I  thank  Lady 

M  ^t,  but,  above  all,  her  Lord  and  mine.  I 

have  a  tate  to  relate  of  his  free  and  kind  heart, 
vrhich  will  last  longer  than  this  world.  It  is 
really  heaven  to  be  relating  it,  and  I  cannot 
hold  my  tongue.  He  makes  himself  so  lovely 
by  continual  favors,  that  my  heart  is  quite  won, 
and  by  his  sweet  constraint  is  now  fixed  upon 
him.  I  would  turn  to  other  lovers,  but 
sweet  Jesus  will  not  let  me,  O  the  bound- 
less grace  of  his  most  amiable  breast !  Finite 
nature  cannot  tell  (how  should  it  ?)  his  infi- 
nite love.  But  as  we  get  emptied  of  self, 
we  know  and  experience  more  of  his  love. 
4 


74  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

This  I  wish  you,  and  my  very  dear  Miss 

 ,  growth  in  grace,  that  is,  self-abasement, 

and  growth  in  the  knowledge  of  God  our  Sa- 
viour— may  he  empty  you  of  self,  and  fill  you 
with  more  of  his  good  things.  We  have  very 
much  of  his  presence  and  glory  in  our  assem- 
blies this  winter,  more  than  ever.  His  work 
revives  amongst  us :  and,  cold  and  frosty  as 
the  weather  is,  our  heart  burns  within  us. 
Last  night  St.  Dunstan's  was  a  very  Bethel ; 
it  was  like  the  dedication  of  the  Temple, 
when  the  glory  of  Jehovah  came  down  and 
filled  the  house.  I  was  preaching  on  these 
words — My  meditation  of  him  shall  be  sweet. 
And  so  it  was  indeed.  When  I  was  setting 
forth  his  undertakings,  his  suitableness  to 
fulfill  them  as  God-man,  his  actual  fulfiUing 
of  them,  his  poAver  to  apply  and  to  make 
them  effectual ;  how  he  does  this  by  his  Word 
preached,  in  the  hand  of  the  Spirit  made  the 
means  of  working  faith  in  the  heart,  and  of 
producing  the  fruits  of  faith  in  fellowship 
with  Jesus  and  his  fullness,  by  which  Jesus 
grows  sweeter  and  sweeter,  and  so  brings  us 
to  the  end  of  our  meditation,  the  sweetest  of 
all  even  of  divine  sweets,  the  enjoyment  of 
Jesus  in  his  kingdom  of  glory ;  Oh,  what  a 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


75 


seal  did  he  set  to  this  preached  Gospel ! 
He  made  it  the  power  of  God.  The  medi- 
tation of  his  goodness  yesterday  has  still  a 
relish  and  delightful  savor !  to-day  it  is  sweet, 
very,  very  sweet,  indeed.  Pray,  mind,  I  do 
not  make  this  my  salvation — no,  but  these 
sweet  streams  lead  me  to  the  fountain — I  do 
not  rest  in  them ;  but,  if  these  be  so  sweet, 
w  hat  must  the  fountain  be  ?  If  little  faith 
finds  Jesus  so  precious,  what  must  precious 
Jesus  be,  when  faith  yields  to  sight  and 
sense  ?  My  dear,  dear  friend,  prize  this 
pearl,  it  is  inestimable.  Two  things  I  would 
beg  your  notice  of;  I  know  you  have  receiv- 
ed him.  The 

First  is,  press  for  more  knowledge — read, 
pray,  hear,  to  be  made  more  teachable  and 
humble,  that  Jesus  may  have  the  glory  of 
such  discoveries  as  he  makes  of  his  person 
and  of  his  work.  And  do  not  stop ;  press 
on,  as  long  as  you  live,  sit  very  low,  very 
low  at  Christ's  feet,  to  hear  his  words.  The 

Second  is,  make  use  of  his  fulness ;  you 
are  welcome,  you  cannot  use  it  too  much. 
Hence  comes  sweet  fellowship,  and  by  it  all 
things  will  do  you  good.  Carry  them  to  that 
best  friend,  pour  them  out  into  his  loving 


76  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

bosom.  He  delights  in  familiarity.  You 
have  been  ill ;  that  is  the  best  for  you :  live 
by  faith,  and  Jesus  vrill  make  it  plain  to  you. 
Yours  in  that  incomparable  Lover, 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XIX. 


Lambeth,  January  16,  1766. 

My  dear  Friend  : — I  have  several  reasons 
for  writing  to  you  at  this  time.  The  first  is,  that 
ever  so  long  ago  I  wrote  you  an  huge  scribble ; 
to  which  having  received  no  answer,  I  thought 
it  was  high  time  I  should  get  a  little  out  of  your 
debt,  and  pay  off  some  of  my  old  score  with 
these  scraps  of  paper.  I  hope  you  will  take 
them,  according  to  the  American  phrase,  for 
paper  currency.  Put  every  letter  to  account, 
and,  having  rated  them  just  what  you  please, 
make  me  creditor  for  it. 

My  second  reason  for  writing  is  to  inquire 
after  you.  How  can  I  help  being  concerned 
for  those  whom  I  love,  especially  in  the 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


77 


Lord  ?     Such  friends  I  have  at   .  It 

would  be  a  real  pleasure  to  me,  and  a  profit 
to  yourself,  if  I  knew  what  to  ask  for  you, 
when  I  go  to  Court.  How  is  your  bodily 
health  ?  I  know  you  are  generally  weak 
and  low,  and  I  know  it  is  good  for  you,  yea, 
the  best  of  all  for  you.  The  Physician  who 
never  mistook  a  case  prescribes  to  your  ten- 
der constitution.  His  prescription  is  perfect 
love.  He  could  not  bring  about  his  gracious 
designs  any  other  way ;  he  wants  to  wean 
you  from  a  life  of  sense,  therefore  in  infinite 
mercy  he  takes  away  sensible  enjoyments. 
He  would  have  you  to  go  on  from  faith  to 
faith ;  but  how  could  faith  grow  so  fast,  as 
by  keeping  you  from  those  things  which  are 
its  very  bane  and  destruction  ?  He  is  bring- 
ing you  to  more  fellowship  with  him  than 
you  have  had,  therefore  you  must  have  less 
fellowship  with  the  world.  Fewer  outward 
comforts  will  certainly  make  you  experience 
more  spiritual  comforts.  This  is  our  Physi- 
cian's fixed  practice — he  never  varies  from 
it,  not  in  one  instance  :  mind,  one  of  his  fa- 
vorite patients,  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  com- 
fort ME :  the  afflicting  rod  could  not  com- 
fort, pain  could  not  be  pleasure,  no  chasten- 


78  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

ing  can  be  in  itself  joyous ;  but  the  staff,  the 
being  supported  under  the  rod,  and  the  feel- 
ing of  that  support — he  found  faith  and  pa- 
tience bear  him  up  under  the  rod,  Avhich 
brought  him  to  such  close  communion  with 
his  gracious  Saviour,  that  he  was  comforted 
under  the  cross.  This  is  also  the  experience 
of  one  highly  favored,  as  you  may  read,  Rom. 
V.  3,  4,  5.  Let  me  know,  then,  how  your 
soul  prospereth  under  Jesus'  care. 

I  have  also  a  third  reason  for  writing, 
which  is  to  wish  you  a  happy  new  year,  the 
happiest  of  all  you  ever  saw,  and  therefore  I 
wish  you  more,  still  more  enjoyment  of  our 
infinitely  rich,  everlastingly  precious  Jesus. 
You  will  live  to  a  blessed  purpose,  if  every 
day  of  this  new  year  you  get  more  out  of 
SELF,  and  live  more  in  and  on  Jesus.  We 
have  had  a  most  remarkable  time  this  Christ- 
mas of  his  grace  and  love.  I  have  scarce  an 
acquaintance  who  has  not  been  favored  with 
blessed  visits  from  him.  Oh,  how  great  is  his 
goodness  !  how  great  is  his  beauty  !  Incom- 
parable both  !  May  your  dear  heart,  my 
friend,  feel  what  I  did  at  the  Lock  on  Inno- 
cents' day,  when  I  was  preaching  on  these 
words  of  Ps,  Ixxxvii.,  All  my  springs  are  in 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


79 


thee.  I  gave  them  first  a  translation  of  the 
psahn,  then  a  paraphrase,  then  application : 
the  substance  of  the  two  first  I  send  you : 
the  psalm  literally  rendered  runs  thus.  Title 
is, 

"  For  the  sons  of  miserable  man,  a  psalm 
to  be  sung," 

Ver,  1.  He  is  to  be  established  in  the  moun- 
tains of  his  Holy  One. — Mind,  how  sweetly  . 
the  Holy  Spirit  begins ;  he  mentions  not  who 
this  He  that  was  to  be  established  is,  for  all 
who  are  under  his  teaching  know. 

2.  Jehovah  loveth  the  gates  of  Zion  more 
than  all  the  dwellings  of  Jacob. 

3.  Weighty  things  are  spoken  of  thee, 
thou  city  of  Alehim.  Selah,  attend  to  this. 
— What  this  love  in  v.  2  was  for,  what  these 
weighty  things  in  v.  3  were,  the  next  words 
show,  where  God  the  Father  is  introduced 
speaking. 

4.  I  will  cause  it  to  be  remembered  by 
them  who  knew  me  in  Rahab  and  Babylon, 
behold  Philistia,  and  Tyre,  the  people  of 
Ethiopia — here  was  the  name  born — born 
in  Zion,  to  be  the  Saviour  of  Rahab  and 
Babylon,  Philistia  and  Tyre,  and  Ethiopia, 


fO  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call 
in  these  countries. 

David,  speaking  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  adds, 
in  verse 

5.  And  of  Zion  it  shall  be  said,  a  person 
and  a  person  (God  and  man)  shall  be  born  in 
her,  and  he  himself  the  Most  High  shall  per- 
fectly establish  her.  (Namely,  the  Church 
founded  upon  the  incarnate  God,  against 
which,  he  says  himself,  the  gates  of  hell 
shall  not  prevail.) 

6.  Jehovah  shall  record  it,  when  he  is 
describing  the  people,  that  here  was  the 
NAME  born;  that  Divine  name  in  which 
alone  there  is  salvation,  and  from  which  all 
true  joy  both  in  heaven  and  earth  ariseth, 
as  the  saints  sung  in  the  Old  Testament,  as 
the  angels  sung  at  his  birth,  and  as  the  re- 
deemed of  the  Lord  will  sing  for.ever. 

7.  And  the  singers,  as  well  as  the  players 
on  instruments,  shall  say,  All  my  springs 
ARE  IN  THEE  (ALL,  all  the  Springs  of  grace, 
of  glory,  all  arise  from  Jehovah  manifest  in 
the  flesh).  O  that  such  a  spring  as  we  had 
at  the  opening  of  these  words,  may  flow  into 
and  refresh  your  heart  quite  through  the 
wilderness  till  you  come  to  the  fountain- 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


81 


head;  may  you  still  drink  of  the  water 
which  flows  through  the  rock,  Christ,  till 
you  drink  of  that  which  flows  from  the  throne 
of  the  Lamb.  And  so  it  will  be ;  the  Rock 
will  follow  you,  and  you  will  have  the  com- 
fort of  it,  if  you  keep  in  mind  that  little 
word  IN — all  my  springs  are  in  thee — not 
only  from  thee,  through  thee,  (which  is  true,) 
but  IN  thee.  If  faith  fix  here,  all  will  be 
well.  For,  if  at  any  time  the  stream 
fail,  then  you  may  go  up  to  the  fountain- 
head,  making  up  your  happiness  in  Jesus, 
get  you  whatever  it  be,  little  or  much,  in 
present  comfort  out  of  his  fullness.  Yet  still 
he,  and  all  he  is  and  has,  is  yours. 

My  paper  grows  short,  and  my  fingers  are 
so  cold  I  can  scarce  write ;  yet  I  have  a 
fourth  reason  for  writing — upon  Mr.  Alex- 
ander Cole's  death.  I  wrote  to  Newcastle 
for  his  papers,  especially  for  a  book  in  man- 
uscript, after  the  manner  of  the  Pilgrim's 
Progress.    My  brother  sent  me  word,  his 

daughter  at  had  been  over,  and  carried 

away  all  her  father's  papers.  I  wish  you 
could  get  this  book  and  read  it,  and  send 

me  your  opinion  of  it.   ,  perhaps,  could 

help  you,  to  whom  give  my  kind  love. 
4* 


82  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

One  thing  more,  and  I  have  done.  Yes- 
terday I  dined  with  Mr.  Berridge,  He  was 
making  great  complaint  of  his  debts,  con- 
tracted by  his  keeping,  out  of  his  own  living, 
two  preachers  and  their  horses,  and  several 
local  preachers,  and  for  the  rents  of  several 
barns  in  which  they  preach.  He  sees  it  was 
wrong  to  run  in  debt,  and  will  be  more 
careful.  But  it  is  done.  My  application  is 
to  Lady  Marg — t.  Will  you  stand  my  friend 
with  her,  and  tell  her  Berridger's  case  ?  If 
she  pleases  to  assist  him,  I  should  be  glad  to 
convey  her  charity  to  him.  You  will  be  the 
judge  whether  this  be  proper  or  not  to  men- 
tion to  her.  I  beg  my  kind  love  to  her. 
Nothing  is  yet  done  at  Blackfriars ;  but  Jesus 
does  all  things  well,  he  times  all  things  for 
the  best ;  I  am  sure  of  it,  therefore  I  wait 
my  Lord's  time,  and  blessed  waiting  it  is. 
May  he  bless  you  and  yours  in  body  and 
soul,  and  that  forever  and  ever  :  so  prays, 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


83 


LETTER  XX. 


Lambeth,  February  4,  1766. 

All  the  blessings  of  Jesus'  love  be  with 

dear  .    I  was  not  in  a  hurry  to  answer 

your  letter,  because  Mr.  Berridge  promised 

to  make  his  acknowledgments  to  ,  and 

because  the  time  was  at  hand  when  my 
Loi'd  Chancellor  declared  he  would  end  the 
affair  at  Blackfriars.  You  have  heard  of  the 
event.  My  friends  are  rejoicing  all  around 
me,  and  wishing  me  that  joy  which  I  cannot 
take.  It  is  my  Master's  will,  and  I  submit. 
He  knows  what  is  best,  both  for  his  own 
glory  and  his  people's  good ;  and  I  am  cer- 
tain he  makes  no  mistake  in  either  of  these 
points.  But  my  head  hangs  down  upon  the 
occasion,  through  the  awful  apprehensions 
wliich  I  ever  had  of  the  cure  of  souls.  I  am 
frightened  to  think  of  watching  over  two  or 
three  thousand,  when  it  is  work  enough  to 
watch  over  one.  The  plague  of  my  own 
heart  almost  wearies  me  to  death ;  what  can 
I  do  with  such  a  vast  number  ?    Besides,  I 


84 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


had  promised  myself  a  little  rest  and  retire- 
ment in  the  evening  of  life,  and  had  already 
sat  down  with  a — soul,  take  thine  ease. 
And,  lo !  my  fine  plan  is  broke  all  to  pieces. 
I  am  called  into  a  public  station,  and  to  the 
sharpest  engagement,  just  as  I  had  got  into 
winter  quarters — an  engagement,  too,  for 
life.  I  can  see  nothing  before  me,  so  long  as 
the  breath  is  in  my  body,  but  war :  and  that 
with  unreasonable  men,  a  divided  parish,  an 
angry  clergy,  a  wicked  Sodom,  and  a  wicked 
world ;  all  to  be  resisted  and  overcome. 
Besides  all  these,  a  sworn  enemy,  subtle  and 
cruel,  with  whom  I  can  make  no  peace,  no, 
not  a  moment's  truce,  night  and  day,  with 
all  his  children  and  his  host,  is  aiming  at  my 
destruction.  When  I  take  counsel  of  the 
flesh,  I  begin  to  faint.  But  when  I  go  to 
the  sanctuary,  I  see  my  cause  good,  and  my 
Master  is  Almighty — a  tried  friend,  and  then 
he  makes  my  courage  revive.  Although  I 
am  no  way  fit  for  the  work,  yet  he  called 
me  to  it,  and  on  him  I  depend  for  strength 
to  do  it,  and  for  success  to  crown  it.  I  ut- 
terly despair  of  doing  anything  as  of  myself, 
and  therefore  the  more  I  have  to  do,  I  shall 
be  forced  to  live  more  by  faith  upon  him. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


85 


In  this  view,  I  hope  to  get  a  great  income 
by  my  living.  I  shall  want  Jesus  more,  and 
shall  get  closer  to  him.  As  he  has  made 
my  application  to  him  more  necessary  and 
more  constant,  he  has  given  me  stronger 
tokens  of  his  love.  Methinks  I  can  hear 
his  sweet  voice,  "  Come  closer,  come  closer, 
soul !  nearer  yet ;  I  will  bring  you  into  cir- 
cumstances that  you  cannot  do  without  me." 

0  that  you  could  always  hear  that  voice,  it 
would  be  your  heaven  !  And,  indeed,  it  is 
his  language — nothing  but  love  is  on  his 
tongue ;  but  the  noise  of  the  flesh  sometimes 
drowns  his  small,  still  voice.  Comfort  would 
flow  into  your  heart  like  a  river,  if  the  ears 
of  faith  were  but  open  to  attend  to  the  en- 
dearments of  Jesus.  "  Soul,  thou  shalt  not 
live  at  a  distance  from  me ;  I  bought  thee 
with  a  great  price  ;  thou  art  mine.  When 

1  afllict,  it  is  to  bring  thee  nearer  to  myself; 
to  make  thee  glad  in  me,  to  bring  thy  heart 
to  me.  Thou  shalt  not  make  up  thy  com- 
forts in  the  streams  ;  come,  come  up  nearer, 
nearer  still,  to  the  fountain-head.  To  make 
thee,  to  force  thee  to  live  happy  in  my  full- 
ness, I  will  dry  up  the  streams,  and  so  will 
I  teach  thee  *  to  make  me  all  in  all.'  " 


86  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

The  infinitely  lovely  Lamb  of  God  teach 
you  this  lesson !  All  his  Word  preaches  it, 
all  his  providences  proclaim  it.  Every  cross 
says.  Go  to  Jesus,  live  near  his  bleeding 
heart,  or  else  I  shall  break  the  back  of  your 
patience.  Every  difficulty  says.  Go  to  Jesus, 
and  he  Avill  make  you  strong  in  the  power 
of  his  might  to  overcome.  The  world,  and 
all  the  things  in  it,  say,  and  the  believer  has 
ears  to  hear.  Go  to  Jesus,  there  is  no  good 
in  us — it  is  all  in  liim.  Whatever  comes,  I 
go  to  Jesus  with  it,  and  all  is  well.  His 
smiles  are  humbling,  his  rod  is  sanctifying  ; 
in  all  his  dealings  he  is  good,  and  doeth 
good. 

I  know  these  things  as  well  in  theory  as  I 
see  the  words  upon  paper.  But  to  practice 
them  is  indeed  hard,  except  in  His  strength 
to  whom  all  things  are  possible :  in  it  and  by 
it  all  things  we  meet  with  will  not  only  bring 
us  to  live  more  upon  Christ,  but  will  also 
bring  us  to  live  more  to  Christ.  By  doing 
the  one  we  do  the  other.  He  that  makes 
him  all  shows  forth  most  of  his  praise. 
What  can  glorify  Christ  like  that  believer 
who  attempts  nothing  without  consulting 
him,  undertakes  no  work  or  duty  but  in  his 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


87 


Strength,  rejoices  in  nothing  but  in  Jesus, 
and  in  his  salvation?  O  that  you  may 
learn,  my  dear  friend,  thus  to  exalt  King 
Jesus !  I  would  have  you  to  be  ever  bring- 
ing some  honor  to  him,  by  making  him  your 
ALL  in  deed  and  in  truth.  Praise  his  full- 
ness by  living  always  upon  it,  and  then  he 
will  make  you  always  happy.  Let  him  be 
all  your  salvation,  and  all  your  desire  :  all 
your  salvation,  as  to  the  merit  of  it ;  all  your 
desire,  as  to  the  efficacy  of  it ;  all  your 
salvation  in  purchase,  all  your  desire  in  en- 
joyment. So  he  is  in  heaven ;  O  that  we 
could  make  him  so  upon  earth ! 

I  have  one  favor  to  beg  of  you.  Do  not 
refuse  me.  You  see  my  station — you  hear 
my  difficulties.  Will  you  remember  me  to 
Him,  who  calleth  the  things  that  be  not  as 
though  they  were.  He  can  send  to  war  at 
his  cost,  and  for  his  glory.  If  you  love  me, 
make  mention  of  me  Avhen  you  go  to  Court. 
Pray  for  usefulness  and  for  humility.  I  cease 
not  to  mention  you. 

I  have  received  Lady  B  's  money,  and 

have  been  much  in  gaols  of  late.  I  am  con- 
fined to  church  people ;  and  when  I  see  a 
prisoner,  a  dissenter,  and  cannot  relieve  him. 


88 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


with  a  wife  and  several  children,  it  makes 
my  very  heart  ache.  So  I  thought  your  gift 
was  from  heaven.  I  have  made  one  family 
happy,  and  shall  make  others,  and  by  and  by 
will  send  you  the  particulars. 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XXI. 


July  22,  1766. 

My  very  dear  Friend: — I  am  wish- 
ing for  your  prosperity  in  body  and  soul, 
but  above  all  that  your  soul  may  pros- 
per: and  it  is  in  the  most  thriving  state 
when  you  are  lowest  and  vilest  in  your  own 
eyes,  and  Jesus  alone  is  eyed  and  esteemed. 
This  is  growth.  As  self  is  kept  down,  so  is 
Jesus  exalted.  Oh,  what  views  have  I  of 
this  manner  of  growing  in  grace  !  Let  me 
talk  to  you  freely  of  it  at  our  next  meeting, 
as  I  have  learned  it  not  from  books,  but  from 
God's  Word,  and  God's  teaching. 

I  am  learning,  though  dull,  how  to  eye 
him  in  all  things  :  as  it  is  my  privilege,  so  I 
find  it  my  happiness ;  but,  alas  !  alas !  I  am 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


89 


a  miserable  learner.  However,  I  set  out 
afresh,  and  resolve  not  to  give  over  aiming 
at  my  lesson.  Do  ever  so  well,  I  would  do 
better,  for  I  see  in  him  worlds  of  beauty  and 
glory,  which  will  take  up  a  long  eternity  to 
study,  and,  what  is  best  of  all,  to  en^oy.  To 
my  dear,  dearest  Jesus,  I  commend  you  and 
all  yours.  I  am,  very  sincerely,  yours  in  the 
common  Lord,  W.  R. 


LETTER  XXII. 


Lambeth,  September  30,  1766. 

My  dear  Friend: — I  have  been  car- 
rying here  and  there  the  sweet  savor 
of  Jesus'  dear  name  ever  since  I  left 
you.  I  was  in  Sussex  for  a  month,  and 
have  heard,  since  my  return,  a  better  ac- 
count of  your  health,  for  which  I  am  thank- 
ful. The  Lord  having  appointed  you  for  his 
heavenly  kingdom,  has  also  appointed  all  the 
steps  which  are  to  lead  you  thither.  Every 
pain  is  in  the  covenant.  Your  confinement, 
your  miscarriages,  your  faintings,  your  dis- 


90  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

appointments,  not  one  thing  that  thwarts 
your  will,  but  it  is  in  God's  will.  Nothing 
can  befall  you  but  what  is  ordered,  contrived 
for  you  by  wisdom,  brought  upon  you  by 
love.  O  for  eyes  to  see,  for  a  heart  to  re- 
ceive, all  God's  dealings  with  you  in  this 
covenant  view  !  How  sweet  would  be  your 
many  trials,  if  you  found  them  all  appointed 
and  managed  for  you  by  the  best  of  friends  ! 
Learn  to  receive  them  thus. 

I  am  going  to  Bath,  and  hope  for  a  little 
leisure  there  to  write  you  a  long  letter.  My 
subject  is  ready.  After  you  receive  it,  I  shall 
be  glad  to  hear  how  your  sentiments  and 
mine  agree.    Pray  remember  me  with  many 

thanks  to  .    I  am  in  debt  more  than 

I  can  acknowledge.  My  best  respects  to 
her.    Pray  for  a  a  poor  worm. 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


91 


LETTER  XXIII. 


Lambeth,  November  15,  1766. 

I  AM  indebted  much  to  my  dear  friend,  but 
among  other  things  I  owe  you  a  note  of  hand, 
which  I  am  now  ready  to  pay.    I  wanted  to 

talk  with  you  at  upon  the  temper 

and  disposition  of  a  true  believer;  but,  being 
prevented  there,  I  promised  to  send  you  my 
thoughts  upon  this  subject,  which  I  am  the 
more  ready  to  do  to-day,  because  the  reason 
of  my  making  the  promise  not  only  still  sub- 
sists, but  is  also  increasing.  A  temper  di- 
rectly contrary  te  the  Christian  is  spreading 
among  professors;  I  see  the  delusion  grow, 
and  I  am  a  witness  to  the  baneful  effects  of 
it.  How  many  have  you  and  I  heard  of  who 
want  to  be  something  in  themselves,  and, 
rather  than  not  to  be  so,  will  be  beholden 
to  Christ  to  set  them  up  with  a  stock  of 
grace  ?  They  would  gladly  receive  a  talent 
from  him,  that  by  being  faithful  to  grace 


92  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

given,  and  trading  well  with  it,  they  may 
look  with  delight  on  their  improvements,  and 
thereby  hope  to  get  more  grace  and  more 
glory.  This  is  the  Popish  plan,  the  Armin- 
ian,  the  Baxterian,  the  Wesleyan — ^very  flat- 
tering to  nature,  exceedingly  pleasing  to 
self-righteousness,  very  exalting,  yea,  it  is 
crowning  free  will,  and  debasing  King 
Jesus.  I  would  be  more  jealous  than  I  am 
over  you  in  this  matter,  if  I  had  not  seen 
how  the  Lord  teaches  you,  and  warns  you 
of  this  rock.  Your  frequent  indispositions 
Eire  his  sweet  lessons,  by  which  he  would 
bring  you  to  the  true  Gospel  frame  of  spirit, 
which  is  this :  It  is  the  proper  work  of  the 
grace  of  Jesus  to  humble  the  proud  sinner, 
to  make  him  and  to  keep  him  sensible  of  his 
wants,  convinced  always  that  he  has  not  any 
good  of  his  own,  and  cannot  possibly  of  him- 
self obtain  any,  either  in  earth  or  heaven, 
but  what  he  must  be  receiving  every  mo- 
ment out  of  the  fullness  of  Jesus. 

The  devil  fell  by  pride,  and  he  drew  man 
into  the  same  crime.  He  promised  him  in- 
dependence, and  he  still  persuades  deceived 
man  to  set  up  for  himself.  That's  the  scheme 
of  all  unawakened  men — they  are  resolved 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


93 


to  be  happy  in  spite  of  God,  The  Spirit  of 
Jesus  is  sent  to  humble  this  proud  sinner, 
which  he  does  by  giving  him  a  view  of  God's 
holy  nature,  and  God's  holy  law.  This 
makes  sin,  and  consequently  the  sinner, 
hateful ;  discovers  his  guilt  and  his  danger. 
If  he  attempts  to  do  anything  to  make  God 
love  him,  the  Holy  Spirit  humbles  him  for 
that  very  thing,  by  showing  him  the  sinful- 
ness of  his  motive,  and  the  imperfection  of 
the  action.  Whatever  he  seeks  to  rest  in, 
the  Spirit  of  Jesus  detects  the  false  founda- 
tion, till  he  leaves  him  no  resource  but  to  be- 
lieve in  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God.  So 
that  when  he  comes  to  Jesus  he  is  stripped  of 
all,  quite  naked  and  blind,  moneyless  and 
friendless,  empty  of  good  as  the  devil  and  sin 
could  make  him.  This  is  all  the  fitness  and 
preparation  for  Christ  which  I  know  of.  And 
when  Christ  is  thus  received,  the  same  Spirit 
which  would  let  him,  the  sinner,  bring  no- 
thing to  Christ,  will  now  make  him  bring  all 
from  Christ,  and  so  keep  him  sensible  of 
his  wants.  He  will  teach  the  believer  more 
daily  of  his  poverty,  weakness,  un  worthiness, 
vileness,  ignorance,  &c.,  that  he  may  be  kept 
humble,  without  any  good  but  what  he  is 


94  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

forced  to  fetch  out  of  the  fullness  of  Jesus. 
And  when  he  would  go  anywhere  else  for 
comfort,  to  duties,  frames,  gifts,  and  graces, 
(for  pride  will  live,  and  thrive  too,  upon  any- 
thing but  Jesus,)  his  Spirit  makes  them 
dry  and  lean,  and  will  not  let  him  stop  short 
of  the  fountain-head  of  all  true  comfort.  In 
short,  he  will  glorify  nothing  but  Jesus.  He 
will  then  stain  the  pride  of  all  greatness,  and 
of  all  goodness,  excepting  what  is  derived 
from  the  fullness  of  the  incarnate  God. 

I  know  one  who  learnt  this  very  slowly, 
but  has  had  much  pains  taken  with  him  ; 
and  to  make  what  I  have  been  saying  more 
plain,  I  would  illustrate  it  by  his  experience. 
He  was  a  very,  very  vain,  proud  young  man ; 
knew  almost  everything  but  himself,  and 
therefore  was  mighty  fond  of  himself.  He 
met  with  many  disappointments  to  his  pride, 
which  only  made  him  prouder,  till  the  Lord 
was  pleased  to  let  him  see  and  feel  the  plague 
of  his  own  heart.  At  this  time  my  acquaint- 
ance with  him  began.  He  tried  every 
method  that  can  be  tried  to  get  peace,  but 
found  none.  In  his  despair  of  all  things  else, 
he  betook  himself  to  Jesus,  and  was  most 
kindly  received.     He  trusted  the  Avord  of 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


96 


promise,  and  experienced  the  sweetness  in 
the  promise.  After  this  he  went  through 
various  frames  and  trials  of  faith,  too  many 
to  mention,  and  he  is  now  got,  where  may- 
Mrs,   ,  your  dear  sister,  get,  and  as  far 

beyond  as  you  can. 

First,  he  has  been  brought  to  a  clear  con- 
viction, that  all  fullness  of  good  is  in  Jesus,  as 
clear  as  that  all  the  sap  in  the  branch  is 
from  the  stock  on  which  it  grows,  as  that 
all  the  nourishment  in  the  member  is  from 
the  body.  What  has  the  branch  or  the 
member,  except  what  they  receive  ?  Now 
this  continual  receiving  from  Jesus  every- 
thing, saying,  "  You  must  go  to  him,"  is  a 
most  humbling  lesson.  And  my  friend  says, 
it  is  nothing  but  this  which  crucifies  his 
pride :  he  has.  been  attempting  for  many 
years  to  be  something,  to  do  something  of 
himself,  but  could  not  succeed  :  disappoint- 
ed again  and  again,  yet  he  would  not  give 
it  up,  till  God  made  him  feel,  in  him,  that 
is,  in  his  flesh,  dwelled  tig  good  thing ;  and 
now  he  writes  folly,  weakness,  sin,  on  all 
that  is  his  own ;  not  only  clearly  convince  d 
that  all  fullness  of  good  is  in  Jesus,  but  is 
also,  in  the  second  place,  content  it  should 


96  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

be  in  him.  It  pleased  the  Father  that  in 
him  should  all  fullness  dwell.  It  pleases  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  testify  of  his  fullness,  and  to 
glorify  nothing  but  it ;  and  by  his  teaching 
it,  pleases  the  believer.  He  is  made  quite 
satisfied  that  all  fullness  should  dwell  in  that 
dear  God-man  :  content  to  have  nothing  but 
what  he  must  go  to  him  for ;  yea,  happy  to 
go  to  Jesus  for  those  very  things  of  which 
he  himself  is  empty,  and  which  he  cannot 
have  anywhere  else.  My  friend's  heart 
glows,  and  his  very  countenance  brightens 
up,  and  one  catches  fire  at  his  words  when 
he  is  talking  upon  this  subject.  "  O,"  says 
he,  "  that  you  did  but  know  what  I  experi- 
ence in  living  upon  the  fullness  of  Jesus ! — 
God's  will  and  mine  are  one  in  this  matter — 
this  subjection  to  his  will  is  heaven  regained; 
so  I  find  it.  I  rest  perfectly  on  the  fullness, 
and  I  enjoy  most  sweetly  what  God  has  laid 
up  in  it  for  my  use.  My  conscience  has 
a  peace  that  passeth  all  understanding, 
through  faith  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  I 
see  myself  in  him  perfectly  accepted,  per- 
fectly justified,  perfectly  comely  in  his  come- 
liness, perfectly  happy  in  his  love — all  the 
desires  of  the  soul  satisfied  with  Jesus'  per- 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


97 


son  and  Jesus'  work.  This,  this  is  the 
death  of  pride.  Here,  free-will,  self-right- 
eousness, a  legal  spii-it,  cannot  work.  The 
spirit  and  power  of  Jesus  in  this  his  glory, 
make  them  hide  their  heads." 

This  is  living  a  Christian.  It  is  a  life,  in 
one  respect,  only  below  an  angel's ;  and  yet, 
great  and  blessed  as  it  is,  I  have  heard  my 
friend  talk  in  a  very  uncommon  strain  upon 
a  state  even  beyond  this,  which  he  calls 
heaven  enjoyed,  and  that  is. 

Thirdly,  he  is  thankful  that  all  fullness 
dwells  in  Jesus — not  only  is  convinced  of  it, 
and  content  with  it,  but  also  blesses  God  for 
its  being  in  Jesus.  This  is  all  they  do  in 
the  highest  heaven,  and  he  has  most  of  hea- 
ven who  does  this  most  like  them.  My 
friend  describes  his  meaning  thus:  "I  live 
out  of  myself — I  nothing  have,  I  nothing  am, 
but  folly  and  sin — Jesus  is  my  life ;  in  him 
is  the  fullness  of  its  being,  and  of  its  comforts: 
whatever  I  want,  I  fmd  it  in  liim.  I  expe- 
rience day  by  day  the  kindness  of  his  heart, 
and  the  bounty  of  his  hand.  Blessings  on 
him,  my  heart  enjoys  what  no  tongue  can 
describe.  Whatever  I  go  to  him  for,  he  al- 
ways sends  me  away  witli  matter  of  thank- 
5 


98 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


fulness.  Constant  fellowship  with  him  en- 
dears to  me  his  person  more  and  more. 
Communion  with  him  in  his  offices  makes 
him  infinitely  lovely.  Partaking  of  his  over- 
flowing love,  makes  it  everlastingly  precious. 
And  living  upon  the  fullness  of  these,  is  the 
lullness  of  joy.  Glory,  Glory  be  to  God-Je- 
sus for  ever  and  ever:  Heaven  and  earth 
say  with  my  heart,  Amen." 

Thus  does  my  friend  illustrate  the  defini- 
tion which  I  gave  you  of  the  true  Gospel 
frame  of  spirit.  I  hope  we  shall  live  to  talk 
of  it,  and  live  to  enjoy  it  more.  Nothing 
else  is  worth  living  for.  All  means  of  grace 
are  only  useful  as  they  help  us  to  live  thus. 
All  providences,  sicknesses,  losses,  successes, 
are  only  so  far  blessings  as  they  lead  us  more 
out  of  ourselves  into  the  fullness  of  Jesus  : 

my  dear  Mrs.  ,  I  can  write  to-day  upon 

nothing  else,  I  hope  I  write  seasonably. 
When  you  open  this  letter  you  will  want 
this  lesson  :  I  am  sure  you  will,  and  God 
bless  it  to  you;  I  follow  it  with  my  prayers, 
and  I  can  do  no  more  ;  but  our  common 
Lord  will  heai*,  I  know  he  will ;  and  will 
accompany  my  poor  words  with  his  presence. 
To  the  care  of  his  dear  loving  heart  I  com- 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  99 

mend  you  and  yours.  Wonder  not  I  have 
not  written  before  :  I  have  been  in  a  more 
preaching  way  this  summer  than  I  ever  was 
in  my  life,  and  traveled  much  more,  and 
have  had  with  me  a  sweet  savor  of  Jesus' 
dear  name.  O  he  is  precious  to  my  soul ; 
how  much,  even  now,  I  shall  want  time  in 
eternity  to  tell :  so  precious  that  I  think  I 
have  not  long  to  he  here,  or  else  the  match- 
less Lover  will  make  this  earth  a  very  hea- 
ven. But  I  say,  I,  the  vilest  worm  that 
ever  crawled  or  escaped  hell,  not  to  set 
me  up,  but  him,  the  high  exalted  worthy 
Saviour.  Again  to  him  I  commend  you. 
Yours  truly  in  him, 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XXIV. 


Lambeth,  January  24,  1767. 

My  very  dear  Friend: — I  have  waited  till 
I  am  quite  wearied  out.  Many  a  look  and  pray- 
er have  I  sent  ward,  but  all  in  vain.  No 


100 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


tidings  could  I  get,  till  Mr.  told  me  of 

your  state.  And  on  his  information  I  am  en- 
couraged to  inquire  after  you  and  yours,  and 
after  a  very,  very  long  letter,  which  I  wrote  up- 
on my  coming  home  from  Bath.  Pray  give  me 
some  accovmt,  for  indeed  I  long  to  know  about 
these  matters.  The  letter  was  upon  a  sub- 
ject that  I  scarce  ever  mentioned  before  to 
anybody ;  it  was  my  own  experience ;  and 
I  would  not  have  it  lost  for  a  great  deal.  I 
have  been  trying  it  by  Scripture,  and  I  could 
give  you  infallible  proofs  of  its  being  agree- 
able to  the  Word  of  God  ;  and  perhaps  may, 
when  I  hear  from  you  next.  It  will  be  some 
satisfaction  to  me  (as  I  never  take  copies  of 

anything)  to  read  my  own  history  at  . 

Before  that  time  I  may  have  got  a  little  low- 
er, and  have  drunk  deeper  into  the  know- 
ledge of  Jesus.  That  seems  to  be  the  end  of 
living,  to  have  self  abased,  and  Jesus  exalted; 
and  these  two  are  inseparable.  As  self  sinks 
in  esteem,  Jesus  rises.  When  self  is  nothing 
but  sin,  then  Jesus  is  a  glorified  Saviour. 
When  self  is  nothing  but  misery,  then  Jesus 
is  all  heaven.  I  have  been  led  to  take 
particular  notice  of  this  lately  from  these 
views : 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


101 


First,  the  person  of  Jesus  ;  he  Avas  Jeho- 
vah. All  the  glory  of  the  Godhead  was  in 
the  man  Jesus.  And  what  was  his  appear- 
ance ?  mean,  to  the  last  degree.  A  worm, 
and  no  man,  the  very  scorn  of  men,  and  the 
outcast  of  the  people.  What  was  his  form  ? 
a  servant,  a  poor  servant.  What  were  his 
tempers  ?  meek  and  lowly,  yea,  meekness 
and  lowliness  itself:  a  perfect  original,  of 
whom  all  his  disciples  may  learn  to  be  meek 
and  lowly.  His  way  to  glory  Avas  humility; 
so  is  ours.  His  glory,  indeed,  was  his  hu- 
mility ;  so  is  ours.  He  that  humblcth  him- 
self shall  be  exalted,  was  true  of  the  head 
as  well  as  of  the  members.  O  that  you  and 
I  may  be  in  this  conformed  to  him !  because 
herein, 

Secondly,  our  fellowship  with  him  con- 
sists. Whatever  a  man  sees  in  himself  great 
or  good,  is  an  absolute  hinderance  to  the 
enjoyment  of  Jesus.  Whatever  he  sees  vile 
and  Avicked,  therein  (if  he  has  faith)  he  Avill 
enjoy  the  Saviour.  The  more  he  sees,  the 
more  enjoyment ;  for  that  which  humbles 
the  sinner  brings  him  nearer  to  the  Saviour. 
The  humblest  sinner  is  capable  of  the  closest 
communion,  and  is  thereby  fitted  for  the 


102 


LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 


largest  communications  of  Jesus'  love.  The 
emptiest  hold  the  most,  and  the  emptiest  re- 
ceive the  most.  O  for  daily  emptying !  This 
self,  this  full  self,  what  reasonings,  what  le- 
gality, what  self-righteousness  has  it,  and  all 
to  keep  us  from  being  filled  with  the  fullness 
of  Christ :  this  is  your  grand  enemy,  that 
idol  SELF.  The  Lord  crucify  it  by  his  own 
almighty  grace  !  and  to  induce  you  to  apply 
to  him  for  this  power,  I  would  recommend  it 
to  you. 

Thirdly,  in  reading  the  Bible,  take  notice 
of  the  persons  to  whom  the  promises  are 
made.  Their  character  is  always  one  and 
the  same  !  the  poor  in  spirit ;  the  contrite 
and  broken  in  heart ;  the  hungry,  the  thirsty, 
the  meek  and  lowly.  Take  this  general 
promise  as  an  instance,  God  giveth  grace  to  the 
humble,  and  with  grace  he  gives  all  things. 
See  how  I  get  writing  on  without  intending 
it :  I  only  sat  down  to  inquire  about  you, 

and  all  our  dear  friends  ;  Miss  at  the 

head  of  them.  Lo !  here  is  a  long  scroll 
started  up.  In  love  remember  me  to  all 
friends,  and,  if  you  please,  Avith  my  hearty 

prayers  for  their  welfare  at  .  Mine 

eyes  have  tears  for  them,    Dear  Jesus  reveal 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


103 


himself  so  to  you  in  his  glory,  as  to  eclipse 
all  created  good,  and  yourself  especially.  So 
prays  a  poor  sinner,  W.  R. 


LETTER  XXV. 


March  21,  1767. 

My  dear  Friend  : — I  would  not  have  let 
your  long  and  kind  epistle  be  so  carelessly 
passed  by,  but  that  I  am  at  present  left  to 
myself  without  a  curate.  All  my  time  is 
taken  up  with  parish  duty ;  a  great  deal  of 
it  very  unprofitably  spent.  But  I  am  called 
to  it,  and  I  must,  and  do  submit.  I  have  sat 
down,  and  I  will  write  on  till  I  am  inter- 
rupted. And  I  begin  by  telling  you  how 
your  last  refreshed  me.  It  was  a  seasonable 
feast,  for  I  was  in  a  sad  taking  about  the 
account  which  I  had  sent  you  of  myselfji 
having  never  found  any  freedom  to  do  it  to 
anybody  living  before  ;  and  I  feared  either 
it  should  be  lost,  or  fall  into  any  other  per- 


104 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


son's  hnrd.  I  am  glad  it  is  in  yours.  Now 
you  know  whereabouts  I  am,  and  what  my 
present  state  is,  it  may  be  of  some  use 
to  you  to  be  informed  how  I  was  brought 
unto  it.  God's  dealings  with  me  have  been 
wonderful,  not  only  for  the  royal  sovereignty 
of  his  richest  grace,  but  also  for  the  manner 
of  his  teaching,  on  which  I  cannot  look  back 
without  adoring  my  meek  and  lowly  prophet. 
He  would  have  all  the  honor  (and  he  well 
deserves  it)  of  working  out  and  also  of  apply- 
ing his  glorious  salvation.  When  I  was  in 
trouble  and  soul-concern,  he  would  not  let 
me  learn  of  man.  I  went  everywhere  to 
hear,  but  nobody  was  suffered  to  speak  to 
my  case.  The  reason  of  this  I  could  not 
tell  then,  but  I  know  it  now.  The  Arminian 
Methodists  flocked  about  me,  and  courted 
my  acquaintance,  which  became  a  great 
snare  unto  me.  By  their  means  I  was  brought 
into  a  difficulty,  which  distressed  me  several 
years,  "I  was  made  to  believe  that  part  oi 
my  title  to  salvation  was  to  be  inherent — 
something  called  holiness  in  myself,  which 
the  grace  of  God  was  to  help  me  to.  And  I 
was  to  get  it  by  watchfulness,  prayer,  fast- 
ing, hearing,  reading,  sacraments,  &c.;  so 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


105 


that  after  much  and  long  attendance  in  those 
means,  I  might  be  able  to  look  inward,  and 
be  pleased  with  my  own  improvement,  find- 
ing I  w^as  grown  in  grace,  a  great  deal  holier, 
and  more  deserving  of  heaven  than  I  had 
been."  I  do  not  Avonder  now  that  I  received 
this  doctrine.  It  Avas  sweet  food  to  a  proud 
heart.  I  feasted  on  it,  and  to  work  I  went. 
It  was  hard  labor  and  sad  bondage,  but  the 
hopes  of  having  something  to  glory  in  of  my 
own  kept  up  my  spirits.  I  went  on,  day 
after  day,  striving,  agonizing  (as  they  called 
it) ;  but  still  I  found  myself  not  a  bit  better. 
I  thought  this  was  the  fault,  or  that,  which, 
being  amended,  I  should  certainly  succeed; 
and  therefore  set  out  afresh,  but  still  came 
to  the  same  place.  No  galley-slave  worked 
harder,  or  to  less  purpose.  Sometimes  I 
was  quite  discouraged,  and  ready  to  give  all 
up  ;  but  the  discovery  of  some  supposed  hin- 
derance  set  me  to  work  again.  Then  I 
would  redouble  my  diligence,  and  exert  all 
my  strength.  Still  I  got  no  ground.  This 
made  me  often  wonder;  and  still  more,  when 
I  found,  at  last,  that  I  was  going  backward. 
Mcthought  I  grew  worse.  I  saw  more  sin 
in  myself,  instead  of  more  holiness,  which 


106  LETTERS  OF  THE  LATE 

made  my  bondage  very  hard,  and  my  heart 
very  heavy.  The  thing  I  wanted,  the  more 
I  pursued  it,  flew  farther  and  farther  from 
me.  I  had  no  notion  that  this  was  Divine 
teaching,  and  that  God  was  delivering  me 
from  my  mistake  in  this  way  :  so  that  the 
discoveries  of  my  growing  worse  were  dread- 
ful arguments  against  myself,  until  now  and 
then  a  little  light  would  break  in  and  show 
me  something  of  the  glory  of  Jesus :  but  it 
was  a  glimpse  only — gone  in  a  moment.  As 
I  saw  more  of  my  heart,  and  began  to  feel 
more  of  my  corrupt  nature,  I  got  clearer 
views  of  Gospel  grace  ;  and  in  proportion  as 
I  came  to  know  myself,  I  advanced  in  the 
knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus.  But  this  was 
very  slow  work  :  the  old  leaven  of  self-right- 
eousness, new  christened  hdincss,  stuck  close 
to  me  still,  and  made  me  a  very  dull  scholar 
in  the  school  of  Christ.  But  I  kept  on,  mak- 
ing a  little  progress  ;  and  as  I  was  forced  to 
give  up  one  thing  and  another,  on  which  I 
had  some  dependence,  I  was  left,  at  last, 
stripped  of  all,  and  neither  had,  nor  could  see 
where  I  could  have,  aught  to  rest  my  hopes, 
that  I  could  call  my  own.  This  made  way 
for  blessed  views  of  Jesus.    Being  now  led 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  107 

to  very  deep  discoveries  of  ray  own  legal 
heart,  of  the  dishonor  which  I  had  put  upon 
the  Saviour,  of  the  despite  I  had  done  to  the 
Spirit  of  his  grace,  by  resisting  and  pervert- 
ing the  workings  of  his  love,  these  things 
humbled  me.  I  became  very  vile  in  mine 
own  eyes.  I  gave  over  striving ;  the  pride 
of  free-will,  the  boast  of  mine  own  works, 
were  laid  low.  And  as  self  was  debased, 
the  Scriptures  became  an  open  book,  and 
every  page  presented  the  Saviour  in  new 
glory.  Then  were  explained  to  me  these 
truths,  which  are  now  the  very  joy  and  life 
of  my  soul.    Such  as, 

First,  The  plan  of  salvation,  contrived  by 
the  wisdom  of  Jehovah  Alehim,  fulfilled  in 
the  Divine  person  and  work  of  Jesus,  and 
appUed  by  the  Spirit  of  Jesus.  The  whole 
was  so  ordered,  from  first  to  last,  that  all  the 
glory  of  it  might  be  secured  to  the  persons 
in  Jehovah.  The  devil  fell  by  pride ;  he 
tempted  and  seduced  man  into  pride :  there- 
fore the  Lord,  to  hide  pride  from  man,  has  so 
contrived  his  salvation,  that  he  who  glorieth 
should  liave  nothing  to  glory  in  but  the 
Lord. 

Secondly,  The  benefits  of  salvation  are  a 


108  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

the  free  gifts  of  free  grace,  conferred  without 
any  regard  to  what  the  receiver  of  them  is ; 
nothing  being  looked  at  by  the  Giver  but 
his  o\yn  sovereign  glory.  Therefore  the 
receivers  are  the  ungodly,  the  worst  of  them, 
the  unworthy,  the  chief  of  sinners ;  such  are 
saved  freely  by  grace  through  faith,  and  that 
not  of  themselves :  it  (namely,  salvation  by 
faith)  is  the  gift  of  God,  not  of  works,  lest 
any  man  should  boast. 

Thirdly,  When  I  considered  these  benefits 
one  by  one,  it  was  the  very  deatli  of  self- 
righteousness  and  self-complacency  ;  for 
when  I  looked  at  the  empty  hand  which 
faith  puts  forth  to  receive  them,  whence 
was  the  hand  emptied — whence  came  faith 
— whence  the  power  to  put  forth  the  empty 
hand — and  whence  tlie  benefits  received 
upon  putting  it  forth  ?  All  is  of  God  ;  he 
humbles  us,  that  we  may  be  willing  to  re- 
ceive Christ;  he  keeps  us  humble,  that  we 
may  be  willing  to  live  by  faith  upon  Christ 
received :  and  as  it  is  a  great  benefit  to  have 
this  faith,  so  it  is, 

Fourthly,  A  great,  inestimably  great  bene- 
fit to  live  by  faith  ;  for  this  is  a  life  in  every 
act  of  it  dependent  upon  another.    Self  is 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


109 


renounced,  so  far  as  Christ  is  lived  upon. 
And  faith  is  the  most  emptying,  pulling 
down  grace  ;  most  emptying,  because  it  says, 
and  proves  it  too  :  In  me,  that  is,  in  my  flesh, 
dweUeth  no  good  thing,  and  therefore  it  will 
not  let  a  man  see  aught  good  in  himself,  but 
pulls  down  every  high  thought,  and  lays  it 
low  in  subjection  to  Jesus.  It  is  called  the 
faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  because  he  is  the  au- 
thor and  the  finisher  of  it ;  he  gives  it ;  he  gives 
to  live  by  it;  he  gives  the  benefits  received 
by  it ;  he  gives  the  glory  laid  up  for  it ;  so 
that  if  I  live  to  God,  and  in  any  act  have 
living  communion  with  God,  it  is  by  nothing 
in  myself,  but  wholly  by  the  faith  of  the  Son 
of  God.  When  I  wanted  to  do  anything 
commanded  (what  they  call  duties)  I  found, 
Ffthhj,  A  continual  matter  of  humiliation. 
I  was  forced  to  be  dependent  for  the  will 
and  for  the  power,  and,  having  done  my  best, 
I  could  not  present  it  to  God  but  upon  the 
golden  altar  that  sanctifietli  the  gifts  ;  not 
the  worthiness,  not  the  goodness  of  the  gifts, 
but  the  sanctifying  grace  of  the  Great  High 
Priest  alone  can  make  them  holy  and  accept- 
able. How  low  did  this  lay  the  pride  of 
good  works ;  since,  after  all,  they  were  viler 


110  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

than  clung,  unless  perfumed  w  ith  the  sweet 
incense  of  Jesus'  blood  and  righteousness  ? 
Here  I  learnt  to  eye  him  in  all  my  works 
and  duties,  the  alpha  and  omega  of  them ;  the 
life  and  spirit  of  all  my  prayers  and  sermons, 
and  hearing,  and  reading,  and  ordinances; 
they  are  all  dead  works,  unless  done  in  and 
by  faith  of  the  Son  of  God.  Against  this 
blessed  truth,  of  which  I  am  as  certain  as 
that  I  am  alive,  I  find  my  nature  kick.  To 
this  hour  a  legal  heart  will  be  creeping  into 
duties,  to  get  between  me  and  my  dear  Je- 
sus, wiiom  I  go  to  meet  in  them.  But  he 
soon  recovers  me  from  the  temptation,  makes 
me  loathe  myself  for  it,  and  gets  fresh  glory 
to  his  sovereign  grace  ;  and  as  all  the  great 
and  good  things  ever  done  in  the  world  were 
done  by  faith,  so  all  the  crosses  ever  endured 
with  patience  were  from  the  same  cause : 
which  is, 

SiztJihj,  Another  humbling  lesson.  I  find 
to  this  moment  so  much  unbelief  and  impa- 
tience in  myself,  that  if  God  was  to  leave  me 
to  be  tried  with  anything  that  crossed  my 
will,  if  it  w^as  but  a  feather,  it  would  break 
my  back.  Nothing  tends  to  keep  me  vile 
in  my  own  eyes  like  this  fretting  and  mur- 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


Ill 


muring,  and  heart-burning,  when  the  will 
of  God  in  the  least  thwarts  my  will.  I  read, 
the  trial  of  your  faith  worketh  patience;  the 
trial  of  mine,  the  direct  contrary.  Instead 
of  patient  submission,  I  want  to  have  my 
own  way,  to  take  very  little  physic,  and  that 
very  sweet :  so  the  flesh  lusteth.  But  the 
Physician  knows  better;  he  knows  when 
and  what  to  prescribe  :  may  every  potion 
pui'ge  out  this  impatient,  proud,  unbelieving 
temper,  so  that  faith  may  render  healthful  to 
the  soul,  what  is  painful  to  the  flesh.  And 
as  no  cross  can  be  endured  without  the  faith 
of  the  Son  of  God,  so, 

Seventhly  and  lastly,  There  is  no  comfort- 
able view  of  leaving  the  world,  but  by  the 
same  faith.  These  all,  who  had  obtained  a 
good  report  in  every  age,  died  in  faith.  On 
their  death-bed  they  did  not  look  for  present 
peace  and  future  glory,  but  to  the  Lamb  of 
God.  Their  great  works,  their  eminent  ser- 
vices, their  various  sufferings,  all  were  cast 
behind  their  backs,  and  they  died  as  they 
lived,  looking  at  nothing  but  Jesus.  He  was 
their  antidote  against  the  fear  and  against 
the  power  of  death.  They  feared  not  the 
cold  death-sweat;  Jesus'  bloody  sweat  was 


112  LETTERS  OF  THE  LATE 

their  dependence.  The  dart  lost  its  force  on 
Jesus'  side.  The  sting  was  lost  in  his  corpse. 
Death  stung  himself  to  death  when  it  killed 
him.  There  is  life,  life  in  its  highest  exalta- 
tion and  glory,  in  not  breathing  the  air  of 
this  world.  This  life,  through  death,  Jesus 
entered  on,  and  we  enter  on  it  now  by  faith ; 
and  when  our  breath  is  stopped,  we  have  this 
life,  as  he  has  it,  pure,  spiritual  and  divine. 
Because  he  lives  it,  we  shall  live  it  also. 
Yes,  my  dear  friend,  we,  you  and  I,  after  we 
have  lived  a  little  longer,  to  empty  us  more, 
to  bring  us  more  out  of  ourselves,  that  we 
may  be  humbled,  and  Jesus  exalted  more, 
we  shall  fall  asleep  in  Jesus,  not  die,  but 
sleep ;  not  see,  not  taste  death,  so  he  pro- 
mises us ;  but  in  his  dear  arms  sweetly  go 
to  rest  in  our  weary  bodies,  when  our  souls 
shall  be  with  the  Lord.  And  then  we  shall 
be  perfect  in  that  lesson,  which  we  learn  so 
very  slow  in  this  present  world,  namely,  that 
from  him,  and  of  him,  and  to  him,  are  all 
things ;  to  whom  be  all  the  glory,  for  ever 
and  ever.  Amen. 

These  are  the  things  which  God  himself 
has  taught  nic.  Man  had  no  hand  at  all  in  it. 
No  person  in  the  world,  not  I  myself:  for  1 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


113 


fought  against  them  as  long  as  I  could ;  so 
tliat  my  present  possession  of  them,  with  all 
the  rich  blessings  which  they  contain,  is  from 
my  heavenly  teacher  alone.  And  I  have  not 
learned  them,  as  we  do  mathematics,  to 
keep  them  in  memory,  and  to  make  use  of 
them  when  I  please  ;  no,  I  find  in  me  to  this 
moment  an  opposition  to  every  Gospel  truth, 
both  to  the  behcf  of  it  in  my  head,  and  to 
the  comfort  of  it  in  my  heart.  I  am  still  a 
poor  dependent  creature,  sitting  very  low  at 
the  feet  of  my  dear  teacher,  and  learning  to 
admire  that  love  of  his,  which  brought  me 
down,  and  keeps  me  down  at  his  feet. 
There  be  my  seat,  till  I  learn  my  lesson  per- 
fectly. That  will  soon  be.  There  is  no- 
thing in  his  presence  but  what  is  like  him- 
self In  heaven  all  is  perfection.  The  saints 
are  as  humble  as  they  are  happy.  Clothed 
with  glory,  and  clothed  with  humility,  with 
one  heart  and  one  voice  they  cry.  Worthy 
IS  THE  Lamb.  They  look  not  at,  they  praise 
not,  one  anotlier;  but  the  Lamb  is  glorified 
in  his  saints,  and  will  have  from  them  never- 
ending  praise  and  glory  for  the  glory  which 
his  sovereign  grace  has  bestowed  upon  them. 
In  a  measure,  I  now  feel  what  they  do.  My 


114 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


heart  is  in  tune,  and  I  can  join  that  blessed 
hymn — looking  at  him  as  the  giver  of  grace, 
(and  grace  is  glory  begun,  nota  bene,)  as  they 
look  at  him,  the  giver  of  glory.  I  can  take 
the  crown,  most  gladly,  from  the  head  of  all 
my  graces,  as  they  do  from  the  head  of  their 
glory,  and  cast  it  down  at  his  loving  feet. 
Worthy  is  the  Lamb.  He  is — he  is — 
blessings  on  him  forever  and  ever ! 

Ought  not  I  to  say  so,  indebted  as  I  am 
to  that  precious  Lamb  of  God  1  You  see 
how  he  has  dealt  with  me — the  kindness, 
the  gentleness  of  his  ways — his  royal  boun- 
ty— the  magnificence  of  his  love.  Adore 
and  praise  him  with  me,  and  for  me.  And 
learn,  my  dear  friend,  from  what  I  have  here 
related,  to  trust  him  more.  When  he  shows 
you  your  vile  heart,  your  poor  works,  when 
dreadful  corruptions  stir,  and  are  ready  to 
break  out,  go  to  him,  freely,  boldly;  stop 
not  a  moment  to  reason  with  your  own  proud 
spirit,  but  fall  down  at  his  footstool.  Tell 
him  just  what  you  feel.  He  loves  to  hear 
our  complaints  poured  with  confidence  into 
his  bosom.  And  never,  never  on  earth,  will 
you  get  such  fellowship  Avith  him,  so  close, 
so  blessed,  as  when  you  converse  with  him 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE-I  115 

in  this  poverty  of  spirit.  Let  nothing  keep 
you  fi-om  him ;  whatever  you  meet  with,  let 
it  drive  you  to  him  ;  for  all  good  is  from  him 
and  all  evil  is  turned  into  good  by  him.  O 
Avondrous  Saviour !  Here  was  I  going  on, 
and  I  hope  in  this  theme  never  to  stop ;  but 
the  Rev.  Mr.  is  come  in — one  just  or- 
dained. I  don't  leave  Jesus  to  talk  to  him, 
but  I  am  going  to  talk  to  him  of  sweet  Jesus. 
To  him  I  commend  you  and  yours.  Believe 
me  very  truly  yours,  in  that  most  lovely 
Lord  Christ,  most  precious  Jesus, 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XXVI. 


Lahibetii,  September  27,  1767. 

My  very  dear  Friend: — I  have  been 
waiting  for  good  news,  but  in  vain.  I  wanted 
some  satisfactory  answer  to  your  last,  and 
though  I  can  give  you  none,  yet  I  take  up 
my  pen  to  make  an  apology  for  the  great 
Lord,  (who  will  not  send  you  a  minister,) 
lest  you  should  begin  to  think  hardly  of  him, 


116  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

and  of  me,  too,  his  poor  servant.  I  would 
have  you  to  remember,  that  the  government 
is  upon  his  shoulders — the  government  of 
heaven  and  earth.  His  Church  is  the  object 
of  his  special  government.  It  is  his  body — 
bought  with  his  blood — quickened  by  his  Spi- 
rit— kept  by  his  power — blest  Avith  his  love. 
All  its  concerns  are  upon  his  heart :  his  eyes 

are  upon  :  he  sees  his  people  there  with 

perfect  complacency;  and  they  shall  want 
nothing  that  he  has  to  give.  Among  the 
rest,  he  beholds  you  and  yours,  and  is  man- 
aging all  for  your  good.  All  shall  be  blest 
to  you,  your  relations,  your  house,  your  sub- 
stance, your  state  of  body  and  of  mind,  your 
life  and  death,  things  temporal  and  spiritual. 
He  will  turn  all  things  into  blessings ;  for  he 
does  all  things  well.  He  does  not,  he  can- 
not, make  one  mistake  in  his  government ; 
no,  not  the  least.  He  is  wisdom,  he  is  love, 
he  is  power  itself.  Infinite  Avisdom  directs 
his  love,  and  sets  it  to  work ;  and,  being  Al- 
mighty, he  makes  all  things  w-ork  together 
for  the  best  of  his  dear  people.    You  are 

as  dear  to  him  at  ,  as  we  are  at  London, 

When  he  knows  it  to  be  right,  he  will  send 
you  a  pastor  after  his  own  heart ;  and  when 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


117 


he  does  not  want  one  there,  you  cannot  get 
one.  When  it  is  right  you  should  be  com- 
forted, you  shall  be  humbled,  and  then  your 
consolations  shall  abound :  and  when  it  is 
right  you  should  be  low  and  mourning,  he 
will  bring  good,  yea,  joy  out  of  heaviness. 
Think  of  all  that  his  power  can  do  ;  his  love 
disposes,  his  covenant  binds  him,  to  do  it  for 
his  people. 

O  blessed  Mrs.   !     What  a  happy 

woman  are  you  !  Jesus  is  yours.  All  he  is, 
all  he  has,  (and  mind  he  is  the  Lord  of  all 
things,)  is  yours.  Who  is  like  unto  your 
Jesus  ?  None,  none  in  heaven  or  earth :  for 
your  friend  has  all  power  in  heaven  and 
earth,  and  he  will  use  it  for  your  good,  to 
keep  you,  to  guide  you,  to  give  you  what  is 
best,  what  he  knows  to  be  best ;  and  has,  as 
such,  appointed  for  you  in  his  wise  counsel 
and  purpose  of  grace.  Leave  yourself,  then, 
to  his  care  and  management ;  yourself  and 
yours.  Trust  him  for  a  pastor.  Faith  is  the 
best  way  to  get  one.    Ask  of  him,  believing, 

and  Mr.  ,  or  some  you  never  heard  of, 

shall  be  sent.  Believe  for  your  mercies, 
and  you  cannot  want  your  mercies.  If  you 
take  notice  of  God's  dealings,  you  will  find. 


118  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

That  God  never  takes  away  what  you  are  en- 
joying by  faith.  All  things  are  possible,  both 
to  get  and  to  keep,  to  him  that  believeth. 
And  when  belief  goes,  all  goes.  And  well 
it  is  so:  for  that  which  is  not  enjoyed  by- 
faith,  is  not  worth  enjoying.  It  can  bring 
no  real  good  to  us,  and  no  glory  to  God; 
therefore,  we  had  better  be  without  it.  In 
this  holy  art  of  believing  for  our  blessings,  I 
wish  you  most  heartily  a  great  proficient. 
Faith  alone  makes  the  difference.  I  would 
have  you  daily  to  practice  it  for  every  earthly 
good  thing  you  enjoy ;  then  shall  it  produce 
a  gladness  of  heart :  but  without  faith,  it  will 
not  be  to  your  true  solid  comfort,  because 
not  sanctified.  You  see  how  open  I  write, 
my  very  heart  appears.  For  I  know  your 
weak  side.  There  I  fear  for  you ;  and  my 
fear  is  a  holy  fear.  I  fear  for  God's  glory, 
in  the  use  of  a  comfort  so  near  your  very  soul, 
and  I  know  of  no  way  but  what  I  now  tell 
you.  Believe  for  your  mercies.  That  will  se- 
cure God's  honor  and  your  comfort.  To  the 
sweet  arms  of  your  Divine  Lover  I  commend 
you  and  yours,  that  he  would  give  you  grace 
to  trust  all  your  earthly  comforts  daily  in 
the  Saviour's  care.    This  I  shall  entreat  for 


WILLIAM   ROMAINE.  119 

you,  being  very  heartily  yours,  in  that  love- 
liest of  all  loves,  W.  R. 


LETTER  XXVII. 


Blackfriars,  October  27,  1769, 

My  dear  Friend  :— Finding  the  cover  of 
this  letter  yesterday,  it  put  me  in  mind  of 
our  past  correspondence,  and  brought  back 
into  pleasing  reflection  many  agreeable  in- 
terviews with  you  and  yours ;  I  was  re- 
solved, therefore,  to  make  use  of  this  cover. 
Providence,  I  thought,  had  put  it  in  my  way. 
It  is  to  be  sent  as  directed,  to  be  a  witness 
for  me  of  my  constant  attachment  to  you  and 
your  family,  as  of  my  uninterrupted  affection. 
Go,  letter,  and  say  so.  Assure  them,  that  I 
am  still  the  same  in  heart,  in  deed,  wishing 
and  praying  to  approve  myself  to  be  unfeign- 
edly  theirs.  And  tell  them  my  reason ;  it  is 
because,  through  grace,  I  am  the  same  in 
heart,  in  deed,  to  my  spiritual  friend;  wish- 
ing and  praying  to  approve  myself  to  be  un- 
feignedly  his  in  all  things.    Upon  better  ac- 


120  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

quaintance,  I  am  become  settled  in  my  love, 
and  rest  in  it.  I  have  some  little  intimacy 
Avith  the  Friend  of  Sinners,  and  what  he 
manifests  to  me  of  himself  increases  affection. 
He  teaches  me  to  loathe  myself;  every  day 
he  lets  me  feel  and  see  the  total  ruin  of  this 
body  of  sin  and  death,  and  will  not  let  me 
look  at  anything  in  or  of  myself,  from 
whence  I  may  draw  one  moment's  comfort. 
Thus  he  makes  himself  more  lovely.  Self- 
loathing  renders  him  precious.  The  more 
we  grow  out  of  self,  the  more  we  grow  into 
Jesus.  Tired  of  our  works  and  duties,  we 
learn  to  value  his  righteousness.  Feeling 
we  cannot  keep  ourselves,  we  know  how  to 
trust  his  faithfulness,  who  hath  undertaken 
to  keep  his  people  unto  the  end.  O  what  a 
friend  is  this!  whose  love  is  like  himself; 
the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever. 
This  sense  of  his  love  makes  his  people  lov- 
ing. And  his  love  to  them  is  the  bond  of  all 
their  holy  love  to  one  another.  Having  put 
on  Christ,  they  put  on  with  him  kindness, 
brotherly  love,  bowels  of  mercies,  &c.  Some 
of  these,  but  I  do  not  boast,  I  feel  to  you, 
and  my  dear  friends  with  you.  May  our  love 
be  mutual,  increasing  continually  in  every 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


121 


sweet  and  holy  affection.  The  love  of  Christ 
will  constrain  to  this ;  it  spreads  like  leaven. 
Every  act  not  only  brings  forth,  but  also  dif- 
fuses, its  sweet  influence.  Whenever  I  re- 
member you,  and  make  mention  of  you  at 
our  court,  the  king  not  only  hears,  but  ap- 
proves, and  makes  the  love  expressed  to  be 
love  abounding.  The  holy  flame  spreads  as 
it  burns ;  so  that  every  affection,  as  it  in- 
creases in  its  attachment  to  our  glorious 
Head,  makes  us  more  truly  loving  to  all  his 
members. 

My  dear  friend,  I  wish  you  was  more  inti- 
mate with  this  loving  Jesus.  And  why  not  ? 
What  has  he  done  to  make  you  shy  of  him  ? 
All  your  complaints  about  yourself  are  no 
bar  :  they  are  so  many  ties  and  bonds,  con- 
straining you  to  love  him  ;  yea,  he  will  love 
to  hear  them  from  you,  as  matters  of  faith. 
Whatever  you  are,  or  feel  of  sin,  misery, 
helplessness,  &c.,  if  rightly  managed,  should 
increase  your  knowledge  of  and  dependence 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Indeed,  all  that 
you  meet  with,  till  you  meet  him  face  to  face, 
should  bring  you  into  more  experience  of  his 
perfect  salvation,  and  of  his  free  love  to  be- 
stow it  on  such  as  you  ;  by  which  means 
6 


122  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

you  would  be  growing  daily  in  the  excel- 
lency of  the  knowledge  of  your  Lord,  and 
would  be  more  conformed  to  his  image  and 
example.  May  you  and  I  increase  daily  in 
this  heavenly  friendship,  and  love  him,  in  our 
measure,  as  he  loved  us.  I  am  just  returned 
from  a  journey  of  seven  hundred  miles, 
ashamed  and  confounded  at  his  mercies  to 
me  and  mine  ;  and  yet  to  pour  my  praises 
to  his  grace,  so  mean  my  services  in  his  own 
work,  that  I  am  forced  to  cry  for  mercy  on 
my  best  sermons  and  labors.  I  am  returned 
home  self-abased,  carrying  this  truth  written 
on  my  heart,  and  desiring  to  manifest  it  in 
outwa  rdconversation  :  Let  him  that  glorieth 
glory  ONLY  in  the  Lord  Jesus.    I  saw  Lady 

H  ,  who  was  pure  and  well,  and  preached 

at  her  chapel  at  Bath :  she  had  not  received 
satisfactory,  or  I  think  she  said  no  answer  at 
all  from  the  Lord  Chancellor ;  but  he  must 
give  such  an  answer  as  our  Lord  Chancellor 
pleases.    That's  our  comfort:  my  love  to 

Mr.   .    I  am  going  to  pray  for  him. 

All  covenant  blessings  be  with  you  and 

yours.    The  Lord  spare  for  his  mercies' 

sake  :  I  don't  know  what  you  would  all  do, 
if  he  who  gave  him  was  to  take  him  away ; 


WILLIAM   ROMAINE.  123 

and  remember,  he  has  a  right  to  do  it  when 
he  will.  Farewell,  farewell.  I  am  yours  in 
our  dear  Lord  and  keeper, 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XXVIII. 


May,  1768. 

Thank  you,  my  good  friend,  for  remem- 
bering me.  I  began  to  have  some  hard 
thoughts  of  you,  but  they  are  gone ;  time 
has  taught  me,  that  old  friends  are  better 
than  new,  and  grace  has  improved  this  ex- 
perience ;  for  friends  in  Christ  will  be  so  for- 
ever.   We  may  part,  but  only  to  meet  again. 

Love  can  reach  from  London  to  ;  yes, 

a  great  way  farther.    I  feel  my  heart  just 

now  united  to  ,  and  rejoice  from  my  soul 

that  Jesus  has  taken  her  up  to  himself:  thanks 
be  to  him  for  the  grace  she  had,  and  the 
glory  she  had  received  out  of  his  fullness. 
Blessings  on  him,  that  we  are  going  the  same 
way,  to  meet  our  best  friend,  and  all  our 
friends  ;  and  to  be  with  him  our  heaven-mak- 


124 


LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 


ing  Jesus,  and  to  be  with  them  for  evermore. 
I  was  led,  from  reading  your  letter,  to  a  very 
comfortable  view  of  the  Prince  of  Life,  I 
thought  I  saw  him,  in  that  character,  exceed- 
ingly amiable  and  glorious ;  and  the  more  I 
considered  it,  the  more  lovely  it  grew  to  the 
eye  of  faith.  For  it  seemed  to  me  that  sin 
and  death  came  into  the  world  with  all  their 
train  of  evils,  that  the  Son  of  God  might  be 
glorified  thereby.  Wonderful  is  his  name, 
who  can  bring  righteousness  out  of  sin. 
What  a  miracle-working  Jesus  is  he,  who 
can  make  life  out  of  death  !  Indeed,  all  he 
does  is  in  this  strange  way,  peculiar  to  him- 
self, that  HIS  might  be  the  crown  of  crowns. 
As  a  Jesus,  he  not  only  saves  from  the  evil  of 
sin  and  death,  (this  is  the  least  part  of  his 
matchless  work,)  but  he  also,  in  the  free  gift 
of  his  sovereignty,  bestows  righteousness  and 
life ;  and,  to  the  everlasting  praise  of  his 
sovereignty,  bestows  them  on  the  most  un- 
righteous, and  on  the  most  dead  in  sin.  In 
this  praise,  how  glorious  is  our  Jesus  !  My 
heart  is  now  captivated  with  his  inimitable 
loveliness,  although  I  see  him  through  a  glass 
darkly  :  what  must  he  be  in  full  and  open 
view,  when  the  display  of  liis  beauty  will 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


125 


make  an  eternal  heaven  !  I  knew  one,  who 
was  admitted  as  that  happy  soul  was,  Cant, 
ii.  9,  to  see  the  Divine  lover  looking  forth  at 
the  window,  and  showing  himself,  or,  as  it  is 
in  the  margin,  flourishing,  opening  and  ex- 
panding like  a  flower  his  beauties  and  fra- 
grance through  the  lattice  window.  It  was 
a  ravishing  sight.  If  the  eye  and  senses  of 
faith  can  be  thus  highly  delighted,  what  will 
it  be  to  see  him  face  to  face,  and  to  enjoy  his 
fullness  of  glory !  since  he  thus,  by  the 
death  of  our  friends,  can  let  us  behold  some 
fresh  discovering  of  his  life-giving  charms. 
What !  O  what  will  it  be  to  us,  when  mor- 
tality shall  be  swallowed  up  of  life  !  Yet  a 
little,  a  very  little  while,  and  this  shall  be. 
In  the  mean  time,  may  you  and  I  be  growing 
in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  the  Prince  of 
Life.  I  got  a  good  advancement  by  the  death 

of  Lady  M  1,  and  was  led  into  a  sweet 

path  of  meditation,  in  which  I  went  on, 
meditating  and  contemplating,  till  my  heart 
•burnt  within  me.  Methought  he  had  given 
a  noble  display  of  the  riches  of  grace  in  his 
dealings  with  her,  and  had  made  her  a  happy 
partaker  of  that  life  which  he  came  to  give 
unto  his  world.    You  can  witness  that  he 


126  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

had  repealed  the  sentence  of  death.  She 
was  freed  from  condemnation,  and  was 
passed  from  death  unto  life.  He  gave  her  to 
know  it,  to  enjoy  it.  Many  a  time  my  spirit 
has  been  refreshed  with  hearing  her  relate 
simply  and  feelingly  how  Jesus  was  her  life. 
And  in  consequence  of  this,  having  peace 
with  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  her  Lord, 
she  had  an  attachment  to  his  person.  You 
can  tell,  better  than  I  can,  how  she  showed 
tliis.  She  was  certainly  spiritually  alive,  and 
he  who  made  her  so  kept  her  so,  to  as  great 
manifesting  of  his  power  as  if  he  had  pre- 
served the  burning  bush  in  Horeb  in  flames, 
and  yet  unhurt,  from  Moses  to  this  day. 
This  spiritual  life  bodily  death  cannot  touch, 
because  it  is  rooted  and  grounded  into  the 
Divine  life.  And  the  keeping  of  it  is  laid 
up  in  Christ  with  God,  safe,  happy,  out  of 
the  reach  of  storms  and  enemies.  What  did 
I  say,  bodily  death  cannot  touch  it  ?  I  retract 
that  word  :  bodily  death  does  what  the  an- 
gel did  to  Peter  in  prison — knocks  oflf  his 
fetters,  and  sets  him  at  liberty  ;  the  angel  of 
life  takes  down  the  mortal  that  he  may  per- 
fect the  immortal  life,  and  so  we  die  to  live ; 
die  to  the  world,  to  live  with  him ;  die  to 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


127 


time,  to  live  forever  ;  yea,  die  in  faith,  that 
this  body  of  death  which  we  leave  behind 
us  shall  soon  be  raised  to  life  and  immortal- 
ity. Is  death  our  enemy  ?  What  has  he 
done  to  hurt  ?  Only  fulfilled  the  kind  will 
of  Jesus,  who  wanted  her  company,  and 
would  have  her  with  him,  to  live  as  he  does 
in  his  life  of  glory.  Blessed  death,  heaven- 
ly comforter,  thou  art  a  loving  friend,  indeed, 
to  Jesus'  friends  !  Your  letter  was  the  means 
of  my  entering  on  this  meditation,  and 
blessed  it  was.  O  what  a  sight  and  sense 
had  I  of  the  incomparable  grace  of  life-giv- 
ing Jesus  !  While  I  am  writing,  he  makes 
himself,  beyond  what  any  words  can  describe, 
lovely  to  my  eyes,  and  precious  to  my  heart. 
He  is  my  life.  I  find  it,  enjoy  it,  in  him ; 
and  let  me  speak,  my  dear  friend,  a  word  for 
him  to  you  :  for  him,  as  I  am  in  duty  bound 
— to  you,  as  love  constrains  me.  For  him  I 
speak  a  most  complete,  absolutely  and  eter- 
nally perfect  Saviour  ;  his  person,  his  work, 
possessed  of  all  the  glories  of  the  Godhead. 
What  he  did  and  suffered,  in  order  that  he 
might  save  to  the  uttermost,  admits  of  no  ad- 
dition. It  was  once  done  and  perfected  for- 
ever.   My  friend,  have  you  the  benefit  of 


128  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

this?  Do  you  enjoy  it  in  your  conscience  ? 
and  there  read,  and  there  maintain,  a  full 
and  everlasting  repeal  from  the  sentence  of 
death.  This  is  the  honor  Jesus  claims  of 
you,  and  it  is  the  highest  you  can  pay  him. 
Y(  u  can  do  him  no  greater  homage,  nor 
more  acceptable  worship,  than  to  put  your 
entire  dependence,  Avithout  any  the  least 
drawing  back,  or  wavering,  on  his  life  and 
death,  as  your  whole  deliverance  from  sin 
and  death,  as  your  clear  title  to  heaven  and 
glory.  When  faith  shows  you  the  Divine 
majesty  of  Mary's  son,  and  the  everlasting 
honors  of  his  obedience  unto  death,  then  will 
the  peace  of  God  rule  in  your  heart,  and 
thereby  you  will  glorify  the  blood  and  the 
righteousness  of  the  Redeemer,  more  than 
any  angel,  more  than  any  happy  spirit,  around 
his  throne. 

The  enemy  long — too,  too  long — kept  me 
from  that  enjoyment,  by  wiles  and  snares, 
chiefly  legal  views  and  self-righteous  plans. 
Still  he  now  and  then  gets  an  advantage  of 
me.  But  I  beg,  my  friend,  you  would  be- 
ware of  his  devices.  Are  you  resting  upon 
Jesus  ?  and  do  you  find  the  sentence  of  death 
is  no  longer  in  force  against  you  ?  Read, 


WILLIAM   ROMAINE.  129 

study  your  Bible,  pray  and  beg  for  an  inci-ease 
of  faith.  This  is  the  use  of  all  means.  May 
the  Lord  the  Spirit  bless  them  to  you !  Faith 
is  your  shield  against  the  accuser  of  the 
brethren,  and  against  your  own  legal  work- 
ings. If  you  grow  in  this  experience,  you 
will  grow  more  and  more  alive  to  God;  you 
will  believe,  and  find  more  of  the  love  of  a 
reconciled  Father.  The  more  you  rest  on 
the  finished  salvation,  you  will  certainly 
abound  more  in  the  blessed  fruits  of  it:  such 
as,  seeing  yourself  perfectly  saved,  your 
hopes  will  all  cast  anchor  within  the  veil ; 
your  affections  will  get  fixed  on  their  ever- 
lasting object,  and  you  will  come  under  the 
sweet  government  of  King  Jesus.  Thus  liv- 
ing in  him,  you  will  live  to  him,  which  is  not 
only  spiritual  life,  but  is  also,  indeed,  spiritual 
liveliness.  And  if  you  ever  find  this  decay 
after  you  once  had  it,  mind  and  attend  to 
the  cause  of  its  decay,  and  you  will  see  this 
was  the  only  cause ;  namely,  your  faith  was 
therefore  not  lively,  because  you  was  not 
resting  perfectly  upon  Jesus,  as  your  Saviour 
from  the  sentence  of  death.  This  was  the 
Avorm  which  eat  into  the  gourd  and  made  it 
wither.  Keep  this  out,  it  will  flourish  and 
6* 


130 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


grow  as  long  as  you  have  any  need  of  faith 
for  protection,  or  for  happiness,  and  when  the 
time  comes,  that  faith  is  to  be  no  more, — 
What  is  dying  ?  Is  it  not  in  the  hand  of  Je- 
sus ?  Does  not  he  appoint  it,  fix  it,  send  it  ? 
Has  not  he  promised  to  be  with  you  in  the 
hour  of  death,  to  keep  you  from  the  fear  and 
from  the  pow  er  of  it  ?  Is  not  he  faithful, 
almighty,  all-loving  ?  his  love  wants  no  power 
to  make  his  promises  good  to  his  dying 
friends ;  yea,  he  does  make  them  good  every 
day.  He  will  to  you,  doubt  it  not.  I  have 
written  till  my  time  is  up.  You  are  sure  my 
subject  is  not  exhausted ;  no,  never  will  be. 
But  I  am  forced  to  stop.  My  dear  friend, 
pray  for  me.  You  know  my  profession  of 
love  for  your  soul.  God  knows  my  heart. 
Adieu.  W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


131 


LETTER  XXIX. 


June  11. 

Thanks  to  my  dear  friend  for  her  last.  It 
was  a  great  refreshment  to  me.  Oh !  how 
does  my  spirit  rejoice  to  see  the  blessed  Je- 
sus crowned  and  exalted  in  your  soul,  and 
no  other  name  mentioned  in  your  lips,  no 
dependence  upon  any  being  or  thing  in  your 
heart  or  life,  but  that  God-man.  This  is 
the  point.  Here  may  we  fix.  But,  alas  !  al- 
though I  would  fix,  and  never  so  much  as  turn 
my  eye  from  hence,  I  find  so  many  enemies 
within  and  without,  that  it's  hard  keeping 
our  hold,  and  never  letting  it  go.  In  this 
warfare  the  flesh  and  the  Spirit  fight  with- 
out ceasing ;  the  flesh  against  Christ's  sufii- 
ciency,  and  the  Spirit  for  him.  But,  thanks 
be  to  his  grace,  the  Spirit  is  almighty,  and 
he  has  given  the  flesh  in  all  believers  a  mor- 
tal wound,  of  which  it  will,  ere  long,  bleed 
to  death.    And  then,  O  blessed  prospect, 


132  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

we  shall  see  the  Captain  of  our  salvation, 
through  whom  we  conquered,  face  to  face  ! 
That's  enough.  There's  heaven.  May  you 
and  I,  till  we  get  there,  learn  daily  to  make 
more  use  of  Christ.    Our  dear  fellow-soldier, 

lady  H  n,  fights  bravely.    She  went  to 

Brighthelmstone  this  day  se'nnight.  I  had 
a  sweet  letter  from  her  this  morning.  She 
is  happy  in  the  adorable  Immanuel,  and 
lives  to  him  and  for  him.  Her  only  view  in 
Sussex  is  to  carry  his  glad  tidings  to  a 
wretched,  ignorant  people.  He  has  hitherto 
prospered  her  design,  and,  while  he  smiles 
upon  it,  I  believe  she  will  not  give  it  up. 

God  willing,  I  shall  leave  London  on  the 
20th  of  this  month ;  but  am  not  yet  deter- 
mined how  I  shall  travel.  In  hopes  of  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  you,  I  will  trouble  you 
with  a  line,  as  soon  as  I  know  whether  I 
ride,  or  come  in  the  coach,  or  in  a  post-chaise. 
My  dear,  ever,  ever  dear  Lord  and  Master 
keep  you  !  To  his  sweet  and  tender  heart 
I  commend  you,  and  am,  for  his  precious 
name's  sake,  your  faithful  friend  and  servant, 

W.  R. 

u 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


133 


LETTER  XXX. 


Blackfriars,  May,  2,  1769. 

I  WROTE  to  my  good  friend  at  Christmas, 
and  got  an  answer  at  Easter.  Indeed,  I  be- 
gan to  think  you  had  dropped  me ;  for  I 
make  myself  sure  of  nothing,  but  of  my  dear 
Lord's  unchangeable  love.  Yet  I  corrected 
myself  for  thinking  so  of  you:  but  I  was 
tempted,  and  I  have  combustible  enough  to 
feed  any,  yea,  every  temptation.  The  Lord 
keep  me  from  others,  as  he  did  from  this. 

You  ask  my  opinion  of  inoculation.  Peo- 
ple, who  reason  upon  wwldly  motives,  may 
do  as  they  please.  To  others  I  would  relate 
the  case  of  a  great  Doctor  in  divinity,  and  a 
great  Christian,  who  had  an  only  son.  His 
wife  was  for,  the  Doctor  was  against,  inocu- 
lation. They  had  many  disputes  about  it. 
The  Doctor  said  he  could  not  do  it  in  faith  ; 
the  wife  said  she  could  do  it,  because  she  be- 
lieved it  to  be  for  the  best.    Neither  side 


134 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


would  yield  :  so  they  agreed  to  put  it  off  till 
the  one  or  the  other  should  give  up  their 
opinion,  and  both  be  of  one  mind.  The 
child  was  thus  left  in  God's  hand — he  got 
the  small-pox  in  the  natural  way,  and  did 
well. 

I  attend  to  your  complaints  of  yourself. 
They  are  true.  You  might  make  a  thousand 
more,  and  alike  true.  But,  my  dear  friend, 
what  of  all  this  ?  Is  not  Jesus  the  Saviour 
of  such  sinners  as  you  are  ?  Pray,  take  heed 
of  getting  into  a  complaining  temper,  and 
contracting  a  habit  of  it ;  for  there  is  no 
greater  enemy  to  Jesus,  to  the  growth  of 
your  communion  with  him,  and  to  the  liveli- 
ness of  your  heart  towards  him.  I  would 
have  you  sensible  of  all  your  causes  of  com- 
plaint, but  satisfied  under  them,  and  willing 
to  be  just  what  you  are.  In  this  poverty  of 
spirit,  needy,  sinful,  helpless,  dependent 
temper,  consists  the  very  life  of  faith:  for 
while  you  feel  thus,  everything  in  you  and 
about  you  says,  "  You  must  go  to  Jesus — 
you  can  do  nothing  without  him ;  he  must 
counsel,  and  strengthen,  and  comfort;  he 
must  save — he  must  be  a  Jesus  to  you  every 
moment,  and  in  everything."    What  reply 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


135 


does  the  believer  make  ?  "  It  is  true,  with- 
out him  I  can  do  nothing — I  am  helpless,  and 
his  strength  is  perfected  in  my  utter  weak- 
ness; most  gladly,  therefore,  do  I  glory  in 
my  weakness,  that  the  strength  of  Christ 
may  rest  upon  me."  O  for  more  of  Paul's 
happy  experience !  He  had  no  such  glad- 
ness as  that  which  arose  from  communion 
with  Jesus,  and  he  gloried  in  that  which 
helped  him  to  this  communion,  by  making  it 
absolutely  necessary  for  him.  He  did  not 
commit  sin  on  purpose ;  but,  being  a  sinner, 
he  did  not  wish  not  to  be  one  in  himself :  it 
was  his  joy,  yea,  his  crown  of  rejoicing,  that 
God-Jesus  and  sinful  Paul  were  one.  Here 
he  found  his  heaven;  Jesus  was  united  to 
the  sinner,  as  meat  is  to  the  hungry ;  and 
Paul  lived  upon  him,  feasted  on  him,  enjoyed 
Jesus,  as  the  hungry  do  their  meat.  It  was 
such  a  feast,  that  Paul  would  not  wish  to 
have  no  appetite,  but  rather  to  have  it  en- 
larged, that  he  might  live  more  upon  the 
bread  of  God,  and  grow  up  more  into  Christ 
Jesus. 

What !  must  I  always  be  this  poor,  needy 
sinner  ?  Yes ;  always,  till  you  get  into  hea- 
ven.   And  then  you  will  be  perfectly  hum- 


136  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

bled,  and  have  nothing  within  you  to  rob 
Jesus  of  any  part  of  his  glory.  All  your  sal- 
vation, from  the  councils  of  eternity  to  the 
eternal  fulfillment  of  them,  will  then  be 
plain;  you  will  see,  confess,  and  be  happy 
in  confessing,  that  sovereign  grace  did  all 
for  you,  and  in  you.  And  in  the  perfect 
sense  of  this  you  will  triumph  in  being  a 
SINNER  SAVED,  and  in  this  you  will  triumph 
as  long  as  heaven  is  heaven. 

But  thus  you  keep  on  complaining :  "  I 
find  myself  too  often  poring  over  my  own  in- 
ward sinfulness  and  misery,  and  consequently 
giving  way  to  unbelief,  whenever  my  poor 
reason  tells  me  I  should  be  rejoicing  in  the 
God  of  my  salvation."  And  what,  then ;  un- 
belief is  in  you,  felt  or  not ;  and  unbelief 
given  way  to,  is  your  burden — this  makes 
for  you.  And  it  only  proves  that  you  are 
still  at  school,  learning  your  second  lesson, 
and  that  is,  how  the  God  of  your  salvation, 
being  received,  is  to  be  enjoyed.  You  own 
he  is  received.  You  call  him,  the  God  of 
my  salvation.  Observe,  my  dear  friend,  now 
this  Jesus  is  yours,  all  is  yours.  You  have 
an  undoubted  right  and  title  to  Him,  and  to 
His ;  improve  it,  then,  and  make  use  of  his 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


137 


fullness.  Your  estate  is  clear  and  boundless ; 
you  have  only  to  receive  the  income  of  it  in 
grace,  as  well  as  in  glory.  I  pray  you,  my 
dear  friend,  to  study  this  lesson,  and  if  the 
Lord  the  Spirit  help  you  to  learn  it  well,  it 
will  save  you  from  many  an  aching  heart. 
Observe,  Jesus  is  yours ;  after  this,  you  are 
not  to  seek  for  any  new  title  to  any  part  of 
salvation.  This  is  also  secured ;  but  you 
are  called  upon  to  enjoy  the  purchased  salva- 
tion, and  to  be  a  happy  receiver  out  of  the  Sa- 
viour's fullness.  Suppose  you  live  thus  ever 
so  well,  receive  ever  so  much,  what  you  en- 
joy in  Christ  is  no  part  of  your  title  to  Christ ; 
what  you  receive  from  Christ,  is  not  your 
title  to  pardon,  to  righteousness,  or  to  holi- 
ness. He  is  received  for  these  purposes — 
He,  Christ  himself;  and  your  enjoying  him 
for  these  purposes,  is  not  your  title  to  par- 
don, &c.  What  Christ  does  for  you,  or  in 
you,  or  by  you,  is  not  to  be  looked  at  so  as  not 
to  look  still  simply  at  Christ  himself.  What 
he  is,  and  what  he  did  for  you,  here  is  all 
your  salvation.  What  he  does  in  you,  or  by 
you,  here  is  the  enjoyment  of  this  salvation 
in  its  fruits  and  effects:  but  these  fruits  and 
effects  do  not  make  you  holy ;  oh,  no !  the 


138 


LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 


poor  beggars  who  are  fed  at  our  king's  table 
will  never  say,  we  pay  the  king  for  our  meat 
by  eating  a  great  deal ;  or,  his  meat  feeds 
us,  and  therfore  we  make  ourselves  strong ; 
or,  his  grace  nourishes  us,  and,  therefore,  we 
make  ourselves  holy.  No,  no ;  they  are 
taught  better.  They  will  always  acknow- 
ledge, the  more  we  receive  out  of  the  full- 
ness of  Jesus,  we  find  ourselves  more  happy, 
and  the  fruits  of  our  interest  in  him  are  more 
abundant  to  our  comfort,  and  to  his  glory, 
but  our  debt  increases ;  and  the  better  we 
are  fed  and  clothed,  and  kept  up  with  his 
royal  bounty,  he  leaves  us  nothing  to  glory 
in,  except  his  overflowing  grace.  In  this 
spirit  his  people  hear,  and  read,  and  pray, 
and  attend  means  and  ordinances ;  they  do 
not  seek  holiness  in  these,  not  to  be  made 
holy  by  them,  bvit  they  do  attend  in  faith,  sanc- 
tified first  by  the  faith  that  is  in  Jesus,  and 
in  that  faith  enjoying  him  in  all  they  do. 
Christ  is  my  sanctification  before  I  can  do 
anything  aright,  and  what  I  do  aright  does 
not  make  me  holy,  but  shows  that  I  am  holy. 
Every  living  branch  is  ingrafted  into  the 
root  and  stock  of  holiness,  and  its  leaves  and 
fruit  do  not  make  it  to  be  in  the  vine,  but 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


139 


only  prove  that  it  is  in  it.  A  member  is  not 
made  living  by  doing  its  office.  The  eye 
does  not  live  by  seeing,  but  it  is  a  living 
eye,  and  therefore  sees.  You  must  be  a 
living  member  in  the  mystical  body,  before 
you  can  do  your  office  in  it.  Doing  your 
office  does  not  make  you,  but  only  shows 
that  you  are  a  living  member.  My  dear 
friend,  weigh  these  things  well.  I  verily 
believe  the  Holy  Spirit  is  now  teaching  you 
this  lesson :  for  I  see  you  cannot  be  content 
with  yourself,  nor  your  graces,  nor  gifts; 
improve  this  Divine  teaching,  and  learn  to 
build  all  your  hopes  of  holiness  on  Christ, 
made  of  God  sanctification  for  you.  And 
the  more  clearly  you  believe  this,  you  will 
love  the  God  of  your  salvation  more ;  your 
spiritual  enemies  will  be  more  subdued,  and 
in  heart  and  life  you  will  be  more  devoted 
to  God,  to  his  ways  and  will.  I  give  you 
this  advice  from  my  own  knowledge.  Give 
me  credit,  and  try,  and  you  will  soon  find 
cause  to  give  God  his  glory. 

I  hope  to  look  upon  you,  and  say  on  this 
subject  more  than  I  can  on  paper.  Remem- 
ber me  in  love  and  respect.    The  good  will 


140  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

of  your  unchangeable  Friend  be  with  you  and 
yours,  and  me  and  mine. 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XXXI. 


Brighthelmstone,  July  20. 

Jesus  be  yours,  all  he  is,  and  all  he  has. 
Then  you  will  be  as  rich  as  an  archangel.  I 
hope  he  will  be  my  guide,  and  bring  me  to 

 on  Friday  next,  between  one  and  two. 

I  am  not  sure,  because  I  have  not  taken  a 
place  in  the  stage,  nor  shall  till  I  go  to  Lon- 
don, which  will  be  on  Tuesday  next.  If  I 
cannot  come  in  the  stage,  perhaps  I  may  see 
you  before.  We  go  on  sweetly  in  this  place. 
Christ  is  indeed  exalted,  and  reigns  glorious 
in  many  a  heart,  as  I  wish  lie  may  in  yours. 
He  does — but  not  as  you  could  wish.  May 
he  captivate  you  more  with  his  infinite  beau- 
ty, and  enable  you  to  live  more  blessed  upon 
his  infinite  fullness,  that  lie  may  keep  his 
royal  court  in  your  soul !    The  more  you  are 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  141 

acquainted  with  him,  you  will  grow  in  love ; 
for  he  is  altogether  lovely ;  an  immense 
ocean  of  everlasting  love.  The  whole  world 
is  but  a  drop  of  his  love — what  must  heaven 
be,  where  his  love  is  to  be  glorified  and  en- 
joyed for  ever !  There  we  shall  see  him  : 
oh,  for  that  day !  But  even  by  the  way,  as 
he  walks  with  us,  he  makes  our  hearts  burn 
within  us.  These  sweet  foretastes  of  his 
love  draw  us  on,  and  whet  an  appetite.  A 
few  more  of  these,  and  we  shall  get  to  the 
fountain-head,  and  drink  rivers  of  pleasure 
for  evermore.  To  his  precious  dear  heart's 
love  I  commend  you  and  yours,  and  am  for 
his  sake  your  friend  and  servant, 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XXXII. 


Sweet  Jesus  be  with  my  dear  friend !  I 
promised  you  a  note  as  soon  as  I  was  deter- 
mined what  way  I  should  travel.  It  is  now 
fixed  for  the  stage,  in  which,  God  will- 


142  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

ing,  I  shall  reach  on  Friday,  the  24th 

of  this  month,  about  12  o'clock  at  noon, 

where  I  hope  to  see  some  faces  from  to 

rejoice  my  heart,  with  whom  to  talk  a  little 
of  our  time  away  about  that  dear,  dearest  of 
all  dears  ;  the  only  one  worth  talking  about. 
I  know  not  of  any  good  use  the  tongue  is  at 
present,  but  to  be  telling  of  his  salvation 
from  day  to  day,  in  the  praise  of  which  sal- 
vation it  will  be  employed  for  ever  and  ever. 
May  your  heart  and  mine  be  ever  warm  with 
his  love,  and  then  our  tongues  cannot  help 
telling  of  what  our  hearts  feel.  To  his  pre- 
cious love  I  commend  you  and  yours,  and 
am,  for  the  sake  of  that  dear  man  of  sorrows, 
your  friend  and  servant,  W.  R. 

P.  S.    Strange  doings  at  !    A  party 

for  me,  another  against  me.  Violent  on  both 
sides.  Alas,  alas  !  what's  all  this  about? 
I  sent  word  I  should  preach  there  on  Sun- 
day, the  26th ;  I  know  not  whether  they 
will  let  me  :  if  they  do,  I  hope  you  will 
mount  me  on  that  very  quiet  mare  I  heard 
of  last  year.  But  more  of  these  things 
when  we  meet.  Jesus  be  with  you.  Amen 
Amen. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


143 


LETTER  XXXIII. 


Blackfkiars,  March  5,  1770. 

My  very  dear  Friend  : — I  waited  on 

 ,  and  he  told  me  he  was  to  call  at  

in  liis  way  home.  I  could  not  resist  the  op- 
portunity of  sending  in  writing  my  thanks 
for  your  last  kind  letter.  My  heart  rejoices, 
and  is  thankful  for  many  things  which  you 
say  in  it,  of  your  dependence  on  the  finished 
salvation  of  Jesus,  and  of  your  desire  to  ex- 
perience more  of  his  graces  and  blessings.  I 
see  what  stops  you ;  the  very  same  that 
stops  me.  And  I  would  lay  before  you  the 
Gospel  motives  and  encouragements  to  get 
on,  revealed  in  the  Word,  and  I  hope  in 
some  measure  made  useful  to  me  by  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

I  have  remarked,  in  conversing  with  you, 
and  in  all  your  letters,  the  workings  of  a 
legal  and  self-righteous  temper,  apt  to  nurse 
guilty  fears,  and  to  cherish  misgivings  and 


144  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

suspicions  of  your  interest  in  the  great  sal- 
vation. The  same  are  daily  disturbing  my 
peace,  and  are  the  very  plague  of  my  life. 
The  only  remedy  against  them  is  to  look 
well  to  the  conscience,  where  they  have 
their  rise,  and  to  use  all  appointed  means  for 
establishing  it  in  the  peace  of  God.  This  is 
the  main  point.  A  holy  walk,  and  success- 
ful warfare,  depend  entirely  on  the  testimony 
of  conscience.  The  believer's  chief  busi- 
ness is  to  learn  to  resist  and  to  overcome 
guilt,  fear,  and  unbelief,  that  these  things  being 
kept  out  of  his  conscience,  the  peace  of  God 
may  rule  there  always  and  by  all  means.  Then 
it  will  be  what  the  Scripture  calls  a  good  con- 
science. And  when  this  is  good,  all  goes  on  w^ell. 
Now,  that  is  a  good  conscience  which  wit- 
nesses to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Con- 
science, I  suppose,  is  that  faculty  of  the  soul 
which,  under  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
compares  the  sinner's  heart  and  life  with  the 
holy  law  of  God,  brings  him  in  guilty  for 
transgressing  its  precepts,  and  leaves  him 
under  guilt  and  condemnation,  to  suffer  its 
just  penalties.  The  Gospel  sets  forth  to  him 
an  infinitely  perfect  righteousness,  to  satisfy 
the  precepts ;  and  an  everlastingly  sufficient 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  145 

atonement,  even  the  sacrifice  of  Jehovah  Je- 
sus, to  satisfy  the  penalties  of  the  law.  When 
he  is  enabled  to  believe  in  this  righteousness 
and  in  this  atonement,  his  conscience  is  saved 
from  guilt  and  condemnation  ;  yea,  it  acquits 
and  justifies  the  sinner,  and  brings  in  a  true 
verdict  for  him.    It  says  the  same  that  God 
himself  does ;  pleads  its  discharge  from  the 
express  words  of  the  great  charter  of  grace, 
under  the  broad  seal  of  heaven.    With  the 
royal  grants  and  immunities  therein  gracious- 
ly vouchsafed,  it  stops  the  mouth  of  unbelief. 
"  Thou  art  freely  forgiven  all  trespasses ; 
thou  art  justified  from  all  things ;  thou  art 
a  son  of  my  love,  and  shalt  be  an  heir  of 
my  glory :  I,  even  I,  the  Lord  God,  am  thine, 
and  thou  shalt  be  mine  for  ever."    Here  the 
believer  triumphs;  and  why  may  not  you 
and  I,  too  ?  I  do,  thanks  be  to  Infinite  grace. 
I  believe  these  words  on  the  testimony  of 
God,  as  spoken  to  me.    My  conscience  bears 
witness  to  the  truth  of  the  Divine  record.  It 
is  now  a  good  conscience;  it  agrees  with 
God,  and  looks  upon  him  as  reconciled  per- 
fectly :  it  fears  to  dishonor  him,  by  calling  in 
question  the  infinite  value  of  Christ's  right- 
eousness and  atonement,  or  by  doubting  of 
7 


146  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

their  being  mine,  while  I  feel  my  want  of 
them,  and  have  any  dependence  upon  them. 
Thus  the  peace  of  God  rules,  takes  the  lead 
in  the  conscience,  and  subdues  guilty  fears ; 
rules  ALWAYS.  The  covenant  is  like  the 
Divine  covenanters  in  the  Godhead,  always 
the  same ;  the  free  grant  of  the  righteous- 
ness and  atonement  of  Immanuel  always  the 
same ;  my  want  of  them  always  the  same  ; 
and  mine  interest,  though  not  in  my  sense, 
yet  in  God's  purpose,  always  the  same. 
These  Gospel  motives  should  teach  you  and 
me  to  maintain  this  peace  always,  and  by 
ALL  MEANS.  Everything  should  help  to  pro- 
mote it.  Corruptions,  enemies,  temptations 
from  every  quarter,  should,  by  all  means, 
establish  our  hearts  in  the  peace  of  God; 
we  should  be  trying  at  it,  fighting  for  it, 
and,  as  it  is  our  privilege,  Ave  should  never 
yield,  but  fight  hard  to  keep  a  conscience 
void  of  offence.  This  is  warring  a  good 
warfare  when  we  hold  the  mystery  of  faith 
in  a  pure  conscience. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  friend,  the  manage- 
ment of  your  conscience  is  the  first  and  great 
lesson  in  the  school  of  Christ.  And  your 
chief  mistakes  and  falls  come  from  its  not 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


147 


being  governed  by  the  Word  and  Spirit  of 
God.  Look  to  it,  then,  and  hear,  and  read, 
and  pray,  and  walk ;  that  the  testimony  of 
your  conscience  may  be  agreeable  to  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Insomuch,  that, 
when  you  feel  anything  wrong,  when  you 
are  low  in  spirits,  your  sins  displease,  your 
duties  cannot  please  you,  you  should  remem- 
ber that  these  very  things,  rightly  managed, 
will  establish  your  conscience  in  the  peace 
of  God ;  because  they  will  bring  you  to  live 
entirely  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God. 
Every  new  day  you  live  to  learn  from  them, 
that  you  have  nothing  to  trust  to  but  the 
righteousness  and  the  atonement  of  Jesus  ; 
and,  therefore,  depending  on  this  sure  foun- 
dation, you  may  safely  build  your  hopes  of 
God's  being  in  friendship  with  you,  yea,  in 
an  unchangeable  and  everlasting  friendship. 
O  that  your  heart  may  be  sprinkled  from  an 
evil  conscience ;  and  mind,  that  is  an  evil  one, 
which,  through  unbelief,  refuses  to  build  its 
peace  upon  the  life  and  death  of  Immanuel. 
And  that  is  a  good  conscience,  which  has  peace 
with  God  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord,  and  expects  all  the  love  of  the  Father 
to  come  freely  through  the  Son.    This  is  the 


'  .148  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

second  lesson  in  the  school  of  Christ — "  How 
shall  the  heart  he  made  and  kept  happij  in  the 
love  of  God?"  I  answer,  by  believing  that 
he  is  perfectly  reconciled,  and  loves  you. 
While  there  is  guilt  in  the  conscience,  and 
you  look  upon  the  law  broken,  the  punish- 
ment deserved,  and  the  almighty  Judge  en- 
gaged to  inflict  it,  you  can  no  more  love  God 
than  you  can  love  pain.  But  when  you  hear 
the  Gospel  preaching  peace  by  Jesus  Christ, 
and  can  mix  faith  with  it,  then  God  is  dis- 
covered as  related  to  you  in  the  closest  bond 
of  love,  even  your  dearest  friend,  your  most 
loving  Father ;  which  will  draw  out  the  af- 
fections of  your  heart  to  him  :  "  For  we  love 
him,  because  he  first  loved  us."  His  love  is 
first,  yours  is  second  :  his  is  the  cause,  yours 
is  the  effect.  He  enables  you  to  believe  his 
love  to  you,  and  that  excites  your  love  to 
him. 

You  see,  then,  how  much  depends  upon 
the  testimony  of  the  conscience.  When  this 
is  on  Christ's  side,  and  bears  a  faithful  wit- 
ness for  him,  then  your  heart  will  be  happy; 
you  will  have  joy  and  peace  in  believing. 
"  God  is  reconciled  to  me  :  he  is  my  God  ; 
we  are  agreed,  and  'now  we  walk  together. 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  149 

He  bids  me  call  him  Father  ;  and  I  know 
he  has  bowels  of  love  and  fatherly  affection 
for  me  :  he  sees  me,  accepts  me  in  Jesus,  and 
rests  in  his  love  to  me.  My  title  is  clear  to 
all  spiritual  blessings;  because,  God  being 
my  God  and  Father,  all  things  are  mine." 

If  you  live  like  a  Christian,  these  should 
be  the  constant  breathings  of  your  heart. 
Your  happy  walk  depends  entirely  on  the 
belief  of  God's  being  perfectly  reconciled  to 
you  in  his  Son.  And,  therefore,  you  should 
not  be  aiming  at  getting  any  new  title  to 
your  heavenly  Father's  love,  but  at  new  en- 
joyment. All  is  yours  in  title  ;  but  you  are 
to  seek  for  more,  still  more  possession  :  every 
day  you  should  be  seeking  to  believe  more, 
to  enjoy  more,  of  the  riches  of  your  Father's 
love  in  Jesus.  And  nothing  will  stop  your 
growing  enjoyment,  if  the  peace  of  God  rule 
in  your  heart  always,  and  by  all  means. 

My  dear  friend,  attend  closely  to  this :  for 
want  of  it,  O  what  sad  mistakes  have  I  made ! 
You  will  always  find,  when  your  heart  de- 
parts from  the  Lord,  that  there  has  been  some 
guilt  laying  upon  the  conscience,  and  repre- 
senting God  to  you  in  some  other  light  than  as 
your  most  loving  Father.    But,  pray  mind. 


150 


LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 


he  has  always  the  affection,  as  well  as  the 
name.  He  changeth  not  in  his  love.  He  is 
to  all  his  children  ever  of  one  mind.  And, 
therefore,  when  you  desire  to  enjoy  his  love, 
and  in  the  enjoyment  of  it  to  find  your  heart 
happy,  look  at  nothing  to  bring  you  to  the 
Father  but  the  Son.  Read  your  share  in  his 
love,  take  possession  of  it,  for  nothing  done 
in  you,  or  by  you,  now,  or  at  any  time,  but 
only  in  and  for  the  salvation  of  Jesus,  in 
whom  his  Father  is  your  Father.  Thus  walk 
with  him ;  making  Christ  your  way,  and 
Christ  your  end.  Keep  walking  on,  leaning 
upon  Christ  every  step  for  strength,  for  \ic- 
tory  over  all  corruptions  and  over  all  ene- 
mies, which  would  try  to  stop  you  from  the 
enjoyment  of  your  Father's  love.  Trust  in 
Christ  for  all  the  blessings  of  it,  for  every- 
thing that  can  keep  you  safe,  and  make  you 
happy  all  your  way  :  and  depend  upon  it, 
through  Christ,  you  will  find  the  company 
and  presence  of  your  God  and  Father  a  very 
heaven  here,  as  well  as  in  glory. 

Mrs.  ,  would  you  daily  walk  with  a 

happy  heart  ?  Then  you  must  learn  to  make 
up  all  your  happiness  in  the  love  which  the 
Father  bears  to  you  in  his  dear  Son.    This  is 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


151 


to  be  all  your  salvation,  and  all  your  desire. 
You  must  look  quite  away  from  your  graces, 
your  gifts,  your  duties.  God  does  not  love 
you  for  these — he  loves  you  in  his  Son  ;  and 
you,  in  believing  this,  are  to  exercise  your 
graces  and  gifts,  and  to  be  found  in  the  way 
of  duty,  that  you  may  have  fellowship  with 
him  in  his  love. 

This  is  the  hardest  task  of  all.  I  find  it  so 
to  this  day,  and  I  know  your  temptations ; 
therefore  I  would  finish  this  long  scrawl  with 
an  account  of  the  influence  of  the  former 
truths.  Get  a  ready  answer  to  this  question : 
How  are  my  tempers  to  be  regulated,  and 
my  conversation  to  be  so  ordered,  that  I  may, 
night  and  day,  enjoy  the  peace  and  the  love 
of  my  reconciled  God  and  Father?"  The 
way  is,  to  walk  humbly  with  your  God.  Do 
not  disown  what  the  Holy  Spii'it  has  taught 
you  :  give  him  the  honor  of  his  own  grace  : 
he  has,  indeed  he  has,  learnt  you  to  say, 
Abba,  Father.  God  is  tjoiir  Father  in  Jesus. 
Walk  humbly  with  him  as  such  ;  so  will  you 
enjoy  his  sweet  peace,  and  partake  of  his 
happy  love.  While  these  rule  in  the  con- 
science and  in  the  heart,  the  tempers  oppo- 
site to  them  will  be  resisted  and  overcome. 


152  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

T]  e  Divine  Teacher  will  discover  the  secret 
workings  of  gnilt  and  unbelief,  and  keep  them 
from  destroying  the  peace  of  conscience. 
By  his  almighty  grace  he  will  mortify  carnal 
affections,  and  crucify  every  idol  love  :  he 
will  preserve  the  heart,  as  a  chaste  virgin, 
for  its  heavenly  Lover.  Rebel  nature  will 
resist,  yea,  always :  but  it  cannot  overcome 
the  Lord  God  omnipotent :  he  wiU  bring  all 
things  into  subjection  to  himself.  He  will ; 
nay,  let  me  say,  he  has.  I  appeal  to  your- 
self. Speak  out  for  God.  Does  not  your 
conscience  say,  "  I  have  nothing  to  do  with 
any  pretences  to  be  my  own  Saviour ;  the 
righteousness  of  Jesus,  and  his  atonement  on 
the  tree,  are  all  my  salvation  ?"  Does  not 
your  heart  say  (I  am  sure  I  have  heard  you 
say),  "  This  is  all  my  desire  ?"  Do  not  your 
hopes  say,  "  We  have  cast  our  anchor  upon 
Jesus ;  thank  God,  we  can  never  be  disap- 
pointed !"  Do  not  your  fears  say,  "  I  would 
not  for  the  world  do  anything  to  displease 
my  God  and  Father.  Blessed  Spirit,  rule  in 
me,  rule  over  me,  mortify  the  old  man,  and 
quicken  the  new  man  day  by  day  ?" 

Since  God  has  done  all  this  for  you,  O  do 
not  dishonor  his  work  by  hearkening  to 


WILLIAM   ROMAINE.  153 

proud  self,  the  old  man  of  sin,  who  is  ever 
reasoning  within  you  against  the  glory  of  Di- 
vine grace.  He  would  have  you  to  look  at 
yourself,  and  to  draw  your  safety  and  happi- 
ness from  some  pleasing  views  of  your  own 
goodness.  He  will  be  always  tempting  you 
to  this :  but  remember,  that  you  are  not  to 
look  or  to  depend  in  the  least  upon  yourself, 
but  wholly  upon  God  reconciled  in  Jesus. 
Whatever  is  your  own,  and  comes  from  self, 
is  to  show  you  the  necessity  of  walking  humbly 
with  your  God.  Do  not  you  feel,  to  this  hour, 
that  self  is  made  up  of  sinfulness,  wants, 
temptations  and  miseries  ?  None  of  these 
should  stop  you,  but  each  should  help  to 
make  you  walk  more  humbly  with  your  God. 
They  are  to  show  you  your  constant  need  of 
salvation,  and  to  keep  you  always  depend- 
ent on  God  for  it.  No  failings  in  duty,  no 
sense  of  indwelling  sin,  no  weakness,  no 
opposition,  should  separate  you  in  conscience 
or  heart  from  your  reconciled  God,  but  should 
bring  you  to  walk  in  nearer  fellowship  with 
him — by  which  alone  you  will  enjoy  more 
conformity  to  him.  Pride  will  be  hid  from 
you.  Every  high  thought  Avill  be  brought 
down :  grace,  sovereign  grace,  will  reign. 
7* 


154  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

And  the  Lord  will  receive  all,  I  am  sure  it 
is  his  due,  all  the  glory. 

Here  is  a  wide  field  before  me  :  but  I  stop. 
When  you  send  me  word  that  you  have 
learnt  so  to  manage  the  weapons  of  your 
warfare  as  to  be  able  to  maintain  peace  in 
your  conscience,  and  happiness  in  your  heart, 
and  victory  in  your  tempers  and  walk,  then 
I  will  take  up  the  subject  where  I  leave  off, 
and  go  on  with  it.  In  the  mean  time,  remem- 
ber this  great  truth,  God  is  your  Father  in 
Jesus ;  you  know  it  by  faith ;  yea,  you  enjoy 
the  comforts  of  it  j  and,  therefore,  the  end 
of  your  walk  is  not  to  procure  a  title  to  your 
Father's  love,  but  to  maintain  the  enjoyment 
of  it.  May  the  Lord  the  Spirit  make  you  a 
happy  partaker  of  it  every  day  more  abund- 
antly ! 

I  hear  of  the  goodness  of  our  dear  Lord 

to  ,  I  bless  him  from  my  heart  for  her. 

May  she  never  want  his  rich  cordials  to  com- 
fort her  soul  as  long  as  she  has  a  body  of  sin 
and  death  to  struggle  with  !  My  respects  to 
all  that  family.  May  God  sanctify  the  pres- 
ent dispensation  to  every  one  of  them ! 

My  kind  love  to  Mr.  ,  and  to  Mr. 

John,  and  every  good  wish  for  that  favorite 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


155 


child.  He  grows  a  fine  boy,  and  says  many 
pretty  things.  Take  care,  my  friends,  of 
your  hearts ;  he  has  rather  too  much  room  in 
them.  Grow  in  love  to  the  Giver  as  you 
grow  in  love  to  him,  and  all  will  be  well. 

Recommend  me  to  Mr.  B  y ;  beg  him 

for  Jesus'  sake  to  put  up  prayers  for  a  cum- 
berer  of  the  ground.  I  am  sure  I  do  not 
forget  him.  May  he  never  forget  me  be- 
fore a  throne  of  grace. 

See  how  I  scribble  on.  Throw  a  veil  of 
love  over  all,  and  believe  me  to  be,  in  bonds 
never  to  be  broken,  tied  by  the  hand  of  Je- 
sus, your  friend  and  servant,         W.  R. 


LETTER  XXXIV. 


My  good  Friend  : — I  have  many  reasons 
to  remember  your  being  last  year  at  Bath. 
Among  other  things  I  sent  you  down  the  first 
lesson,  which  the  great  and  good  Master 
teaches  all  his  scholars.  I  cannot  tell  how 
w  ell  you  learned  it.  But  I  understand  he  is 
very  kind  to  you,  and  is  taking  a  great  deal 


156  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

of  pains  to  make  you  a  proficient.  He  sees 
how  desirous  you  are  of  going  to  heaven, 
with  this  and  the  other  comfort  by  the  way : 
you  are  apt  to  think,  as  I  do,  that,  being  such 
an  infinitely  loving  Lord,  he  might  very  well 
spare  it  to  you — you  might  keep  it,  and  yet 
keep  his  love.  But  herein  we  form  a  wrong 
judgment  of  him.  For  he  does  all  things 
well — yea,  he  intends  to  do  better  for  you, 
far  better  than  you  can  even  imagine.  He 
loves  you  more  than  you  can  possibly  love 
yourself;  and  he  will  send  you  nothing  but 
what  is  for  your  real  and  best  interest,  and 
he  will  let  you  find  it  so.  His  love  is  al- 
mighty, and  it  is  unchangeable.  What  can- 
not he  do,  what  will  he  not  do,  when  his 
heart  is  set  upon  blessing  his  people  ?  It  is 
a  common  thing  with  him  to  bring  spiritual 
good  out  of  temporal  evil :  he  can  extract 
pleasure  out  of  pain ;  yea,  he  can  enrich  by 
impoverishing,  and  turn  losses  into  gain. 
Unto  you  it  is  now  given,  as  a  matter  of  his 
choice  favor,  not  only  to  believe  on  him,  but 
also  to  be  conformed  to  him,  by  bearing  his 
cross.  This  he  is  aiming  at.  He  is  going  to 
advance  you  to  great  honor,  and  to  make  you 
comforted  on  every  side.    At  this  very  time. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


157 


he  is  training  you  up  for  it.  He  is  now 
going  to  confer  some  of  his  special  mercies, 
some  of  the  greatest  blessings  he  has  to  give 
on  earth  ;  which  he  bestows  in  so  certain 
and  fixed  a  way,  that  I  know  his  mind  and 
will  concerning  you,  as  plainly  here  in  Lon- 
don as  if  I  was  with  you  at  ,  and  you 

was  to  tell  me  all  your  thoughts:  for,  indeed, 
our  Jesus  is  very  communicative.  He  keeps 
nothing  from  his  friends. — "  And  the  Lord 
said,  Shall  I  hide  from  Abraham  that  thing 
which  I  do  ?"  &c.— Gen.  xviii.  17,  18,  &c. 
No.  He  is  of  my  court,  and  I  will  make  him 
of  my  cabinet :  Abraham  shall  be  my  privy 
counsellor.  And  the  same  Lord  has  raised 
you  and  me  to  the  same  dignity.  Thus  our 
patent  runs : — "  Henceforth  I  call  you  not  serv- 
ants :  for  the  servant  knoweth  not  what  his 
Lord  doeth :  but  I  have  called  you  friends, 
therefore  all  things  which  I  have  heard  of 
my  Father  I  have  made  known  unto  you." 
Our  Divine  Teacher  still  makes  known  to  us 
what  he  doeth.  He  reveals  his  will,  and 
lays  open  his  heart.  And,  according  to  what 
I  have  discovered  of  it,  your  second  lesson  is 
this.  May  he  breathe  upon  it  by  his  Spirit 
and  bless  to  your  soul  every  line  you  read. 


158  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

O  that  all  within  you  may  say,  from  a  feel- 
ing submission  to  his  loving  correction — 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  not  my  will,  but  thine 
BE  done ! 

The  second  lesson  of  the  cross — or  tJie  exercise 
of  faith  in  suffering. 

1.  They  that  have  their  portion  in  this  life 
prosper  in  the  world,  they  increase  in  riches, 
they  come  into  no  misfortune  like  other  folk, 
neither  are  they  plagued  like  other  men. 

2.  But  w  hom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasten- 
eth,  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  re- 
ceiveth, 

3.  He  dealeth  wdtli  them  as  with  sons, 
having  chosen  them  all  in  the  same  election 
of  grace,  prepared  for  them  the  same  inher- 
itance, and  decreed  that  they  should  go  the 
same  way  to  it. 

4.  He  will  not  exempt  one  of  them,  no, 
not  his  only  begotten  Son,  who  went  to  his 
crown  carrying  his  cross ;  and  whom  the 
Father  did  foreknow,  them  he  also  did  pre- 
destinate to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his 
Son. 

5.  Of  this  he  has  graciously  forewarned 
them,  that  they  might  not  think  it  strange 
concerning  the  fiery  trial  which  is  to  try 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


159 


them,  as  though  some  strange  thing  had  be- 
fallen them :  he  has  also  promised  to  be 
with  them,  when  they  walk  through  the 
fire,  and  they  shall  not  be  burnt,  neither 
shall  the  flames  kindle  upon  them.  And, 

6.  When  they  come  out  of  the  furnace, 
they  shall  find  many  blessed  fruits  of  right- 
eousness, which  could  not  have  grown  or 
been  ripened  by  any  other  means. 

7.  Art  thou,  then,  O  my  soul,  expecting 
the  cross  as  thy  portion,  prepared  to  take  it 
up  as  the  honorable  badge  of  thy  disciple- 
ship,  and  ready  to  carry  it  daily,  following 
Jesus  ? 

8.  Canst  thou  take  it  up  in  faith  ?  Is  this 
the  right  frame  of  thy  heart,  "  God  is  my 
God,  my  Father  in  Jesus  ?  He  loves  me  with 
an  unchangeable  love,  which  influences  all 
his  dealings  with  me,  and  especially  his 
present  dispensation  :  for, 

9.  "  He  not  only  loves  me  with  an  ever- 
lasting love,  but  he  is  also  now  waiting  to 
communicate  it  to  me :  my  present  cross  is 
his  way  and  means  of  bringing  it  to  my  heart, 
and  of  bestowing  on  me  some  of  its  richest 
blessings." 

10.  True,  it  is  painful  to  the  flesh ;  but 


160  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

the  flesh  fighteth  always  against  tlie  Spirit, 
and  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither 
indeed  can  be ;  and  therefore  the  cross  must 
be  laid  and  must  be  kept  upon  it,  in  order  to 
weaken  its  power,  and  also  to  strengthen  the 
new  man  day  by  day. 

11.  There  is  a  needs  must  for  the  daily 
cross  to  keep  down  pride,  and  to  bring  every 
high  thought  of  self  into  a  subjection  to 
Christ  Jesus,  that  we  may  be  always  learn- 
ing of  him  to  be  meek  and  lowly. 

12.  Looking  at  the  cross  in  this  light,  as 
the  loving  appointment  of  the  Father's  will, 
and  as  the  means  of  improving  faith  in  the 
Son's  salvation,  through  the  grace  of  the 
eternal  Spirit,  how  dost  thou,  O  my  soul,  find 
if  when  it  comes  ? 

13.  How  is  it  with  thee  when  the  cross  is 
upon  thy  back,  and  thou  art  carrying  a 
heavy,  painful  load  after  Jesus  ? 

14.  Dost  thou  see  Him  before  thee,  who 
went  in  the  same  way;  and  dost  thou  honor 
his  promises,  and  rely  upon  his  faithfulness 
to  carry  both  thee  and  thy  cross  1 

15.  When  thou  art  chastised,  and  sharply, 
canst  thou  kiss  the  rod,  and  bless  the  kind 
hand  which  takes  such  pains  to  purge  out 
thy  corruptions  ? 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


161 


16.  And  when  the  smart  continues  from 
day  to  day,  dost  thou  so  far  profit  from  it  as 
to  be  able  to  say  from  thy  very  heart,  Father, 
THY  WILL  BE  DONE  1  Happy  soul !  for  then 
thou  art  a  partaker  of  his  lioUness. 

IT.  When  it  is  the  will  of  the  Father  to 
spare  the  child,  what  profit  has  appeared, 
after  he  has  removed  the  cross  for  a  time  ? 

18.  Are  there  any  peaceable  fruits  of  right- 
eousness growing  or  ripening  in  the  heart  ? 
Is  there  more  joy  and  peace  in  the  Son's  sal- 
vation, and  more  happy  enjoyment  of  the 
Father's  love  ? 

19.  Has  the  Holy  Spirit  deadened  the  life 
of  sense,  by  putting  the  cross  upon  it,  and 
thereby  produced  more  liveliness  to  spiritual 
and  to  eternal  things  ? 

20.  Say,  is  the  harvest  good  and  plenti- 
ful? Do  the  graces  flourish?  Have  faith 
and  patience  been  in  exercise,  and  improved  ? 
Has  resignation  to  the  Divine  will  been  in 
practice,  and  the  good  of  submitting  to  it 
learnt  by  experience  ? 

21.  Thrice  happy  soul  to  whom  the  cross 
is  thus  sanctified  !  yet  a  very  little  while,  and 
faith  and  patience  having  done  their  perfect 


162  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

work,  the  cross  will  be  no  more,  but  the 
crown  will  be  for  ever. 

My  very  dear  friend,  this  is  my  present 
lesson ;  and  though  I  am  a  dull  scholar,  yet 
I  get  on  a  little.  I  wish  you  may  get  before 
me ;  for  I  am  told  the  Master  takes  great 
pains  with  you  ;  and  I  believe  it.  I  am  very 
certain  you  must  carry  your  cross  all  the 
way  through  this  valley  of  Baca.  And 
what  can  I  wish  you  better  than  that  you 
may  find  the  rain  filling  the  pools,  and 
you  may  go  from  strength  to  strength  ? 
When  the  Lord  strikes  at  your  comforts 
(and  mind,  your  cross  grows  out  of  your 
comforts),  O  that  your  heart  may  then  feel 
submission,  whatever  nature  feels  !  May 
all  within  you,  guided  and  strengthened  by 
grace,  be  able  to  say.  Lord,  take  away  what 
thou  wilt,  only  take  not  away  the  light  of 
thy  loving  countenance.  When  thou  re- 
movest  any  of  my  comforts,  let  me  not  for- 
get they  were  thine ;  thy  free  gift,  lent  me  by 
thy  love,  and  kept  long  for  me  by  thy  boun- 
ty. And  now  thou  art  pleased  to  require 
them.  Lord,  make  thy  will  mine,  and  fill  up 
the  place  which  they  had  in  my  heart  with 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  163 

thy  precious  love.  So  be  it,  Lord  Jesus. 
Amen. 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XXXV. 


November  14,  1770. 

My  very  dear  Friend  : — Since  last 
Thursday  I  have  been  in  your  service, 
heartily  in  it.  I  cannot  charge  myself  with 
any  neglect;  and  I  went  on  more  cheerfully 
because  I  thought  it  was  my  dear  Master's 
work,  which  made  it  pleasant.  But  when  I 
heard  the  living  was  last  night  given  to  a 

Mr.  ,  judge  what  a  blow  this  was ;  I 

felt  exceedingly  for  you.  I  thought  of  Mr. 
M  ,  and  the  poor  people  at  K  ,  de- 
prived of  the  greatest  blessing  short  of  hea- 
ven. O  my  friend !  indeed  I  was  grieved 
sore,  and  began  to  complain  and  murmur — 
"  Why  could  not  the  Lord  have  given  his 
people  a  pastor  after  his  own  heart  ?  Would 
it  not  have  been  for  his  glory  ?    Are  there 


164  LETTERS  OF  THE  LATE 

not  many  precious  souls  in  and  about  K  

who  Avill  now  want  their  daily  bread  ?" 
Thus  my  heart  was  grieved  ;  and  it  went 
even  through  my  reins  :  so  foolish  was  I,  and 
ignorant.  But  I  am  recovered,  and  got  into 
my  right  mind.  Now  I  confess  the  Lord 
reigneth.  He  can  make  no  mistake  in  his 
government.  He  does  all  things  well,  both 
for  his  own  glory,  and  for  his  people's  good. 

Mr.  B  -'s  removal,  a  poor  dead  stick  in 

his  room,  the  joyful  sound  heard  no  more  in 

K  ,  the  mourners  going  about  wringing 

their  hands  in  the  streets,  &c.  &c,  &c. — put 
as  many  more  complaints  as  you  please — 
yet  every  one  of  them  shall  be  made  to  work 
together  for  good.  He  has  said  it,  and  shall 
he  not  do  it  ?  yes,  he  will  do  it ;  and  you 
shall  know  it,  too.  This  very  visitation  shall 
be  overruled,  to  bring  about  many  gracious 
purposes,  perhaps  such  as  these  : 

First,  a  submission  to  his  sovereign  will ; 
that  you  may  say,  all  is  well. 

Secondly,  self-examination  :  was  it  not  for 
my  fault,  my  not  valuing,  not  being  thankful 
for,  not  improving  the  blessed  Gospel,  that 
the  Lord  has  removed  our  candlestick  ? 

Thirdly,  living  upon  Jesus  more.  When 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


165 


the  streams  dry  up,  then  people  are  forced 
to  go  to  the  fountain-head  :  so  the  means 
failing,  his  people  must  live  upon  the  Lord 
of  all  means. 

Fourthly,  living  more  upon  the  Word.  If 
it  cannot  be  heard,  blessed  be  God,  it  may 
be  read :  prize  it,  meditate  on  it,  lay  it  near 
your  heart.  May  it  be  as  sweet  as  honey, 
and  as  precious  as  gold,  yea,  as  much  fine 
gold.  One  single  sermon  to  a  hungry  soul 
■will  be  as  blessed  as  ten  thousand  to  one 
who  has  no  appetite. 

Fifthly,  trust  the  Lord  for  making  an  open- 
ing for  the  Gospel,  even  at  K  ■,  in  his 

own  way.  You  cannot  see  how ;  why,  then, 
that's  the  time  to  trust,  pi'ay,  believe,  wait. 
For, 

Sixthly,  If  the  shepherd  has  any  of  his 

flock  at  K  ,  which  I  cannot  doubt,  then 

they  cannot  perish  for  lack  of  knowledge. 
He  will  cither  send  the  Gospel  to  them,  or 
them  to  it. 

I  own  it  is  a  trying  time.  If  I  was  in  your 
circumstances,  I  should  want  all  that  can  be 
said  to  make  me  think  the  Lord  was  doing 
right;  and,  therefore,  my  dear  friend,  I 


166 


LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 


would  lead  you  to  some  comfortable  view  of 
this  matter.  The  blessed  God  enable  you 
to  give  it  up  to  him,  and  in  patience  to  pos- 
sess your  soul !  If  your  private  loss  be  very 
distressing,  try  to  divert  the  grief,  and  look 
at  the  public  loss.  Oh,  what  has  the  Church 
suffered  in  the  setting  of  that  bright  star 
which  has  shone  so  gloriously  in  our  hemi- 
sphere !  Mr.  Wliitefield's  preaching  is  over; 
now  he  is  praising.  We  have  none  left  to 
succeed  him  :  none  of  his  gifts,  none  any- 
thing like  him  in  usefulness.  But  the  same 
glorious  Jesus  who  gave  him  to  us  has  taken 
him  away.  If  he  wants  another  such,  he 
can  make  him  out  of  a  stone.  Well,  then, 
let  us  submit :  let  him  alone,  let  him  alone. 

His  interest  at  K  ,  his  interest  in  England, 

is  as  dear  to  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye.  He 
is  managing  all  for  the  best.  May  you  and 
I  bow  the  knee,  and  say.  Thy  will  be  done. 

I  have  no  more  time  but  to  follow  this  let- 
ter with  my  prayers,  that  the  great  Head  of 
the  Church  may  teach  you  practically  what  I 
have  been  mentioning  ;  and  depend  upon  it, 
a  day  will  come  when  you  will  see  this  was 
right.     Only  wait;  blessed  are  they  that 


WILLIAM   ROMAINE.  167 

wait  for  him.  Farewell,  my  good  friend, 
and  believe  me  to  be  yours  in  that  dearest, 
sweetest  Jesus, 

W.  R. 


LETTER  XXXVI. 


November  27,  1770. 

Dear  Friend  : — I  hope  we  are  not  going 
to  try  our  skill  at  saying  fine  things  in  the 
way  of  complimenting :  I  confess  myself  to 
be  a  malevolent  creature,  and  have  no  good, 
and  do  no  good,  but  from  mere  grace.  Let  it 
have  all  the  glory.  It's  true,  my  heart  is  in  the 

affair  of  K  ,  but  I  need  not  tell  you,  at  this 

time  of  day,  how  much  I  am  interested  in 
the  welfare  of  you  and  yours.  At  present, 
it  wears  a  promising  aspect.    This  morning 

I  breakfasted  with  my  Lord  C  r  S  

and  Lady.  They  do  not  see  you  have  the 
least  reason  to  doubt  but  in  a  short  time  Mr. 

B  will  be  vicar  of  K  ,  and  they  said 

many  kind  things  of  you  and  your  family.  I 
long  for  the  day  when  my  letter  is  to  be  di- 


168 


LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 


rected  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  B— — ,  vicar  of  K  . 

It  cannot  be  far  off,  if  the  Commissioners' 
calculation  be  true,  that  they  have  had  a 
living  vacant  every  fortnight  and  two  days. 

You  cannot  think  how  much  I  felt  myself 

obliged  to  Mr.  for  his  very  kind  letter. 

I  know  he  does  not  love  writing,  which 
made  it  more  acceptable.  I  beg  my  sincere 
respects  to  him.  The  matter  must  rest  as  it 
is,  till  there  be  a  vacancy.  The  Lord  will 
give  you  waiting  faith ;  it  is  the  strongest 
faith  of  all !  And  you  will  have  this,  and 
everything  needful,  if  you  continue  asking  in 
that  dear  name,  which  carries  all  causes  in 
the  court  of  heaven.  Oh,  keep  on  praying!  I 
do  love  these  meetings  of  prayer.  The  liv- 
ing of  K  was  actually  given  away.  The 

presentation  was  signed,  and  yet  Mr.  S  

cannot  get  it.  Your  prayers  have  prevailed. 
If  ever  there  was  an  answer  to  prayer,  this 
is.  Oh,  that  God  may  make  it  an  encourage- 
ment to  all  of  you  to  pray  without  ceasing ! 
I  am  sure  it  has  done  me  good,  and  opened 
mine  eyes  to  see  more  of  the  glory  of  a 
prayer-hearing  God. 

Excuse  my  going  on;  my  time  is  not 
mine  own ;  I  have  lent  it  to  the  public,  till 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


169 


this  book  of  the  Walk  of  Faith  comes  out. 
It  was  to  have  been  about  the  size  of  the 
Life  of  Faith,  but  is  already  much  larger. 
My  fri  nds,  who  have  seen  it,  won't  let  me 
abridge  it,  but  say  I  must  add  a  little  more, 
and  it  will  be  two  small  volumes.  My  dear 
friend,  pray  for  it.  May  God  make  it  a 
sweet  savor  of  his  adorable  name  !  It  is  a 
book  of  many  prayers,  and  is  the  life  and 
character  of  yours,  in  Jesus, 

W.  R. 

My  wife  thanks  Miss  B  for  her  polite 

letter.  The  civilities  she  received  were  very 
hearty  and  sincere.  As  my  wife  was  but 
poorly  all  the  time  they  were  in  town,  it  is 

very  kind  in  Miss  B  to  look  upon  them 

in  so  favorable  a  light. 

My  love  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  B  .    I  am 

also  overpaid  by  his  note ;  so  we  need  say 
no  more  of  that.  I  desire  to  share  in  his 
prayers,  and  do  very  particularly  beg  him  to 
ask  for  a  blessing  upon  my  little  books: 
they  have  been  very  much  blessed  to  the 
author.  May  the  same  blessing  attend  all 
that  read  them !  Mr.  M  is  in  my  pray- 
ers.   My  love  to  Miss  W  .    I  desire  to 

8 


170 


LETTERS  OF  THE  LATE 


be  remembered  to  Mr.  John,  and  to  all  the 

M  s.     My  blessing  on  that  dear  boy  ! 

God  bless  him  !  W.  R. 


LETTER  XXXVII. 


December  13,  I77P. 

My  dear  Friend  : — I  have  been  offering 
up  my  thanks  and  praise  to  the  loving  Head 
of  the  Church,  for  bringing  this  matter  to  a 
happy  issue.  Glory  be  to  him,  his  delays 
were  not  denials.  He  only  wanted  us  to 
take  it  from  his  hands,  as  his  gift,  and  there- 
fore he  laid  difficulties  in  the  way.  When 
faith  was  tried,  he  removed  them.  Every- 
thing is  at  last  ended  favorably.  The  pre- 
sentation is  sealed,  and  is  safe  in  my  study. 
Although  I  have  been  more  than  a  little  hurt 
by  dancing  attendance  here  and  there,  yet 
now  I  seem  ready  to  do  a  thousand  times 
more  to  oblige  such  dear  friends.  You  have 
it  in  your  power  to  reward  me  a  thousand 
fold.    Lay  out  your  thanks  in  prayers  for 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


171 


me  and  mine ;  and  especially  for  my  little 
book,  which  is  swelled  now  into  two  vol- 
umes. It  is  a  child  of  many  prayers;  I 
scarce  ever  sit  down  to  write,  without  ask- 
ing a  blessing  upon  every  line.  Beg  it  may 
come  out  with  the  unction  of  the  Spirit,  and 
carry,  wherever  it  goes,  a  sweet  savor  of 
the  precious  name  of  my  Lord  and  my  God. 

I  would  rejoice  with  Mr.  M  ,  and  in- 
form him  that  he  must  not  fail  to  write  a 

short  letter  of  thanks  to  my  Lord  C  r 

B  ,  expressing  his  great  obligations  to 

him  for  keeping  the  living  of  K  vacant, 

till  the  Rev.  Mr.  S         was  provided  for; 

acknowledging  how  much  he  is  beholden  to 
him,  and  desiring  to  express  it  on  all  occa- 
sions. I  mentioned,  in  my  letter  of  yester- 
day, the  necessity  of  writing  to  my  Lord 

My  kind  love  to  my  dear  brother,  the  vicar 

of  K  .    I  wish  he  may  lie  low  in  the 

dust,  as  unworthy,  utterly  unworthy,  of  this 
great  trust  committed  to  him.  But  there  is 
grace  sufficient  in  Jesus ;  I  wish  he  may  live 
on  that,  and  do  all  in  his  parish  in  a  settled 
dependence  on  the  assistance  of  the  great 
Head  of  tlie  Church. 


172 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


My  prayer  is  for  the  family  of  the  B  s, 

that  this  may  be  a  favorable  providence  for 
them  all ;  may  the  Miss  M  s  enjoy  pre- 
sent and  eternal  salvation  by  means  of  it. 

But  why  do  I  leave  out  Mr.  I  ?  Why, 

indeed  ?    May  his  heart  leap  for  joy  at  the 

good  news  out  of  Mr.  B  's  mouth,  and 

children  yet  unborn  bless  God  for  this  happy 
event ! 

My  dear  Miss  W  r  will  be  among  the 

foremost.  O  let  him  have  his  glory !  pray, 
let  there  be  a  public  thanksgiving.    If  I  was 

at  K  ,  I  would  preach  on  the  occasion, 

and  recommend  praise  to  a  prayer-answer- 
ing God.  I  wish  you  a  warm  Christmas, 
and  warm  hearts ;  I  am  sure  they  ought  to 
be  so ;  and  may  you  and  yours  rejoice  in  the 
glad  tidings  of  the  birth  of  our  dearest  Im- 
manuel!  Continue  your  prayers  for  your 
servant  in  Jesus. 

The  Lord  keep  Mr.  ,  and  be  his  Je- 
sus in  the  evening  of  his  life,  and  his  strength 
in  age,  and  his  comfort  in  weakness.  So 
prays  W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


173 


LETTER  XXXVIII. 


Blackfk;ars,  December  27,  1770. 

My  dear  Friend: — Having  an  opportu- 
nity of  sending  a  line  in  Mr,  B  's  trunk, 

which  I  had  out  of  Mr,  Whitefield's  study,  I 
could  not  help  wishing  you  a  happy  new 
year.  Happy  in  Jesus ;  happy  in  growing 
intimacy  with  him.  I  have  enjoyed  a  little 
of  it,  and  it  is,  indeed,  heaven  upon  earth. 

O  for  more  of  it  at  K         in  seventy-one 

than  ever  before  ! 

Acquaint  dear  Mr,  I  m,  that  at  last, 

with  great  difficulty,  I  have  settled  this 
affair.  Christmas  is  a  casting-up  time  with 
booksellers.  The  whole  of  what  I  have  paid 
is  only  a  small  sum. 

Expect  peace  only  a  little  while.  You 
see,  lest  you  should  be  lifted  up  above  mea- 
sure, thorns  grow  with  roses.  One,  two, 
three  trials,  come  along  with  the  good  news 

of  success  about  K  .    It  is  not  your  rest. 

Thank  God,  it  is  not.    You  are  not  at  home. 


174  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


Get  ready  to  go  when  your  Father  calls  you. 

Somebody  must  follow  Miss  B  .  Who 

can  tell,  but  God,  whether  it  is  you  or 
some  of  her  sisters  ?  O  be  prepared !  The 
door  is  open,  step  into  the  ark ;  there  death 
cannot  hurt  or  frighten.  St.  Dunstan  calls ! 
farewell.  Blessings  on  you  and  yours. 
Thank  Mr.  M   for  all  his  kind  expres- 
sions. I  give  them  their  value.  Pray  for 
yourSj  in  Jesus,  W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


175 


LETTER  XXXIX. 


March  30, 1771. 

My  dear  Friend  : — Although  I  have  but 
time  to  write  a  line,  yet  I  could  not  longer 
forbear  acknowledging  your  favor.  My 
whole  time  has  been  employed  this  Lent 
with  preaching  and  printing.  My  first  vol- 
ume is  finished,  and  I  hope  to  send  you  one 

by  Mr.  I  m,  who  is  in  town.    The  report 

of  my  mother's  death  is  true  :  she  is  gone  a 
little  before,  and  I  shall  soon  follow.  The 
goodness  of  God  to  her  was  very  great  all 
her  life,  but  extraordinary  to  the  moment  of 
her  death  ;  so  that  we  sorrow  rejoicing.  I 
really  thank  you  for  interesting  yourself  in 
any  of  my  concerns.  As  to  my  usual  sum- 
mer journeys,  one  great  motive  has  ceased  : 
I  can  say  nothing  at  this  distance  of  time.  I 
leave  the  Lord  to  plan  for  me  ;  and  I  wish 
to  follow  no  will  but  his.    Where  I  shall 


176 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


go  next  summer,  I  have  not  so  much  as  a 
hint  yet. 

My  kind  love  to  your  Vicar ;  I  hear  good  of 
him.  The  Lord  bless  him  in  all  his  designs 
for  the  glory  of  Jesus  !  I  desire  to  be  re- 
membered by  you  in   all   your  prayers. 

Every  good  wish  I  heartily  offer  for  Mr.  . 

I  am  yours,  in  Jesus,  W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


177 


LETTER  XL. 


August  20, 1771. 

My  dear  Madam  : — I  have  sent  you  in  a 

parcel,  directed  to  your  brother  I  ,  three 

volumes  of  the  second  part  of  the  Walk  of 
Faith,  as  before,  unbound,  with  one  set  bound 

for  yourself,  another  for  Miss  W  r,  a 

third  for  the  Rev,  Mr.  B  :  they  come  to 

K         with  many  prayers.    I  have  prayed 

over  it  in  writing ;  and  I  am  daily  begging 
the  free  Giver  of  every  good  and  perfect 
gift  that  he  would  go  out  with  it,  and  own 
it  to  the  hearts  of  his  dear  people.  My  de- 
sign in  writing  the  book  was  for  his  glory, 
and  their  good.  The  plan  is  simple.  It 
was  to  show,  that  Christian  principles  are 
sufficient  for  all  the  purposes  of  Christian 
practice ;  so  that  whenever  we  fail  in  prac- 
tice, we  have  first  failed  in  principle.  How 
should  it  be  otherwise,  since  the  principles 
are  mighty  through  God?  The  same  grace 
which  teaches  them,  as  the  truth  of  God, 
8* 


178  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

gives  also  the  experience  of  them,  as  the 
power  of  God.  If,  therefore,  peace  rules  in 
the  conscience  and  love  in  the  heart,  the  effect 
will  follow,  as  light  does  when  the  sun  is 
risen.  There  will  be  a  dependence  on  the 
promised  power  of  God  to  do  and  to  suffer 
his  will ;  and  this  power  will  as  certainly  be 
put  forth  as  God  is  true,  so  long  as  peace 
and  love  are  maintained.  Try  yourself  Ob- 
serve narrowly  how  it  is  that  you  fail  in 
practice ;  and  you  will  always  see  your 
faith  give  way,  and  you  was  not  living  up  to 
your  privileges.  I  know  not  how  I  have 
succeeded  in  describing  this  grand  mistake 
in  the  Christian  walk,  or  in  rectifying  it; 
but  this  I  know  well,  that  the  salvation  of 
Jesus  is  absolutely,  infinitely,  everlastingly 
perfect  in  every  part,  and  at  the  very  given 
moment,  and  the  belief  of  it  will  produce  an 
even,  holy,  happy  walk;  and  if  tliis  belief 
was  perfect,  (as  it  should  be,)  an  enjoyment 
of  this  salvation  would  be  upon  earth  what 
it  is  in  heaven.  I  pray  God  to  carry  you  and 
me  on  from  faith  to  faith,  that  we  may  daily 
bring  greater  honor  to  his  Word  and  to  his 
work. 

If  any  light,  or  love,  or  joy,  warm  your 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


179 


heart  in  reading,  remember  me.  My  trials 
are  very  great.  I  have  the  old  burden  very 
heavy  indeed — a  vast  body  of  sin,  under 
which  I  groan,  and  great  bodily  pain,  hard  to 
bear.  I  have  been  to  the  sea  for  relief;  but 
my  Lord  thinks  proper  to  refuse  it.  When 
I  had  other  trials,  he  spared  me,  and  never 
let  me  know  what  bodily  pain  was;  but, 
now  outward  trials  are  in  a  great  measure 
removed,  this  is  my  cross.  He  is  merci 
ful  in  all  his  dealings:  blessings  on  him 
for  his  kitid  rod  !  You  will  find  in  the  sec- 
ond volume  a  chapter  on  the  outward  cross, 
and  another  on  the  inward  :  they  are  the 
longest  chapters,  because  I  felt  what  I  wrote, 
and  because  all  God's  children  carry  these 
two  crosses  to  the  grave.  I  beg  your  atten- 
tion to  the  inward  cross,  and,  when  you  have 
read  the  chapter,  be  so  good  as  to  tell  me 
how  you  like  it.  To  manage  it  well,  is  the 
greatest  lesson  in  the  school  of  Christ :  O 
that  he  may  teach  you,  as  you  read,  and  be 
your  prophet,  to  enable  you  to  live  upon  him 
as  your  priest ! 

Many  years  ago  I  chose  my  motto — Cease 
ye  from  Man.  You  see  how  needful  it  is. 
Place  your  happiness  on  anything  but  the 


180  LETTERS   OF    THE  LATE 

heavenly  Lover,  it  makes  itself  wings  and 
flies  away.  How  many  sweet  hours  (the  re- 
membrance is  sweet)  have  I  spent  at  K  ! 

Yearly  visits,  pleasing  and  profitable ;  but  I 
am  debarred  this  enjoyment.  I  must  learn 
my  motto  in  an  instance  of  hard  self-denial. 
Happy  for  you  and  for  me  if  every  such  dis- 
appointment lead  us  nearer  to  God.  I  beg 
your  daily  remembrance,  as  you  are  in  mine. 

Every  good  wish  to  Miss  W  r,  and  desire 

her  acceptance  of  a  bound  set.    My  kind 

respects  to  Mr.  M  .     I  wish  Mr.  J  

may  walk  with  us  in  our  way,  and  all  his  sis- 
ters. I  wish  that  little  dear,  dear  boy,  does 
not  get  some  of  Christ's  place  in  your  heart. 
God  bless  him,  and  make  him  a  comfort  to 
you  !  Write  my  motto  upon  his  forehead, 
and  remember  it,  whenever  you  look  at  him. 
My  love  to  Mr.  I  m.  May  every  bless- 
ing of  the  everlasting  covenant  be  yours  on 
earth  and  heaven !    So  prays  yours,  in  Jesus, 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


181 


LETTER  XLI. 


February,  1772. 

My  dear  friend  has  been  thinking — "  Well, 
I  could  not  have  expected  such  neglect;  a 
letter  sent  in  October,  and  not  answered  in 
January ;  I  am  surprised  what  can  be  the 
meaning  of  it !"  I  answer,  to  my  shame, 
that  I  am  grown  very  lazy,  and  good  for  no- 
thing. It  is  high  time  I  was  dismissed  from 
the  vineyard ;  and  any  other  master  but  mine 
would  have  had  nothing  to  do  with  me  long 
ago.  I  cannot  but  loathe  myself,  and  stand 
wondering  daily  at  his  kindness.  Never  was 
self  lower,  and  his  loveliness  higher,  than  in 
this  new  year.  Worthless  as  I  am,  beyond 
all  conception,  yet  he  begun  the  year  with 
vouchsafing  me  some  delightful  Pisgah-views. 
You  must  know  it  has  been  a  custom  with 
me  for  many  years  to  have  a  sermon  on  the 
New  Year's  Day,  and  to  have  the  text  of  a 
sort  of  watch-word,  something  very  short  and 


182  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

striking,  and  which  may  serve  the  believers 
to  feast  upon  a  twelvemonth.  I  have  found 
this  very  useful  to  myself,  and  so  have 
others.  Our  text  for  1772  was,  Christ  is 
ALL.  I  send  you  some  remarks,  believing 
you  will  have  fellowship  with  us  in  them,  as 
you  certainly  have  in  that  adorable  Person 
of  whom  they  treat. 

Christ  has  all  the  fullness  of  salvation  in 
him,  as  God-man;  and  he  has  it  to  the  glory 
of  the  Father,  and  of  the  eternal  Spirit :  for 
it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  him  should  all 
fullness  dwell,  as  in  the  head  for  the  use  of  his 
members.  And  it  pleased  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  testify  of  his  fullness  in  the  Scripture ; 
and  it  pleases  him  by  his  grace  to  bring  be- 
lievers to  use  it,  and  to  live  upon  it ;  and 
then  they  are  truly  converted.  All  other 
experience  is  not  worth  one  farthing.  The 
great  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  to  pull  down 
SELF,  and  to  exalt  Christ.  This  he  does 
effectually,  and  this  he  has  done  in  you. 
Think  what  your  debt  is ;  try  to  cast  it  up ; 
and  send  me  the  sum  total.  Say,  how 
much  do  you  owe  the  Holy  Spirit  for  en- 
lightening your  understanding,  and  convinc- 
ing you  that  Christ  is  the  one  Sun  of  the 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


183 


spiritual  world.  What  a  most  blessed  change 
has  he  wrought  upon  your  mind  !  He  has 
stripped  you  of  the  knowledge  that  puffeth  up ; 
and  has  sent  you  to  Christ,  and  to  none  but 
Christ,  to  be  taught  the  things  of  God.  He 
has  brought  you  humbled  to  the  Saviour's 
feet,  where  you  are  sitting  among  his  lowest 
scholars  (and  that's  the  best  place)  to  hear 
his  words.  Thus  he  has  glorified  your  Divine 
prophet  in  you ;  and  in  the  matter  of  teach- 
ing, he  has  made  Christ  your  all.  The  Bible, 
and  ministers,  and  means,  have  now  got 
their  right  place;  they  are  subservient  to 
Christ's  teaching.  He  is  exalted  by  your 
use  of  them :  for  you  don't  go  to  them,  but  to 
HIM  in  them,  to  receive  lesson  upon  lesson, 
and  line  upon  line.  Thus  may  you  and  I  be 
found  waiting  upon  our  great  Lord  and  Mas- 
ter through  the  year  seventy-two !  and 
when  w  e  thus  put  honor  upon  his  office,  and 
give  glory  to  his  teaching,  we  may  expect  to 
learn  much  of  him  :  he  w  ill  guide  our  feet 
in  the  way  of  peace ;  lie  will  enlarge  our 
faculties  to  know  more  of  the  wonders  of  his 
grace ;  and  he  will  enable  us  to  enjoy  more 
of  the  heavenly  sweetness  of  his  precious 
love.  Yes,  Lord,  we  have  great  expectations 


184  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

from  thee  :  thou  canst  teach  us  far  more  than 
we  have  yet  learned.  O  make  us  every  day 
humbler  scholars,  that,  whatever  we  learn, 
the  praise  of  it  may  be  thine,  and  our  growth 
in  saving  knowledge  may  add  to  thy  fame 
and  renown! 

Methinks  I  hear  you  ask — "  But  how  shall 
I  know  for  certain  that  I  am  one  of  Christ's 
scholars,  and  that  he  has  indeed  taken  me 
into  his  tuition  and  teaching  ?"  My  dear 
Madam,  you  are  to  know  it  from  what  you 
have  learned  of  him.  You  cannot  be  certain 
of  it  any  other  way.  He  would  have  you 
to  look  at  his  revealed  truth,  and  to  try  your- 
self by  it.  Has  not  he  made  you  wise  in  it 
unto  salvation  ?  O  do,  pray  do,  acknow- 
ledge what  he  has  done  for  your  soul  !• 
When  you  was  sensible  of  your  fallen  state, 
in  which  you  inherit  a  corrupt  nature,  and 
felt  that  in  it  you  could  do  nothing  but  sin 
— when  guilt  was  in  your  conscience,  and 
fear  was  in  your  heart,  what  was  it  which 
brought  you  relief?  To  what  did  you  look 
for  pardon,  and  from  whence  did  you  expect 
peace  with  God  ?  Your  answer  will  show 
whether  you  are  Christ's  scholar,  and  how 
far  you  have  advanced  in  his  school. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


185 


I  can  make  your  reply  (for  I  have  heard 
you  say  as  much) — "Why,  to  be  sure,  I  have 
no  hope  but  in  that  offering  which  perfect- 
ETH  FOR  EVER,  and  in  that  righteousness 
which  justifieth  from  all  things.  This  is  my 
salvation — this,  and  nothing  else — Christ 
IS  ALL— I  expect  no  pardon  but  in  his  blood 
— no  justification  but  in  his  obedience — no 
safety  but  in  his  keeping  me — no  happiness 
but  in  his  love — no  heaven  but  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  Immanuel." 

Very  well,  this  is  a  good  confession.  But 
who  taught  it  you  ?  Was  it  not  Jesus,  he 
who  alone  teacheth  man  saving  knowledge  ? 
Has  not  he  opened  your  eyes  to  see,  and 
your  heart  to  receive,  those  most  blessed 
truths?  Yes,  he  has.  And  do  you  praise 
him  as  he  deserves  ?  O  no !  A  thought  often 
comes  into  your  head,  "  If  I  had  learned 
those  things  of  Christ,  how  could  it  be  that  I 
am  so  little  and  so  seldom  comforted  by 
them  ?  they  are  full  of  all  consolation,  and  I 
am  sometimes  quite  empty :  how  can  this 
be  ?"  I'll  tell  you,  my  good  friend.  The 
very  same  thought  comes  into  my  head,  and 
plagues  me.  But  I  get  the  better  of  it. 
Consider  where  it  is  written,  He  that  is  com- 


186 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


forted  shall  he  saved  !  You  are  called  upon 
to  trust  the  work  of  Christ,  and  to  trust  it  for 
yourself  upon  the  word  of  Christ.  His  word 
is  your  whole  salvation :  his  word,  and  no- 
thing in  yourself.  (Here  I  should  stop. 
This  is  the  end  of  my  paper.  But  I  cannot 
get  done— you  must  let  me  finish  my  sen- 
tence, although  it  be  to  your  cost.  Well, 
you'll  forgive  me,  I  hope,  and  therefore  I 
proceed) — His  word,  and  nothing  in  yourself, 
is  to  be  your  lawful  warrant  to  call  this  sal- 
vation your  own,  and  to  use  it  for  your  own. 
Rest  here,  giving  credit  to  the  free  promise 
of  salvation  to  all  that  will  receive  it,  and  I'll 
lay  my  life  of  it  you  will  not  want  comfort 
long.  You  will  have  God's  faithfulness  for 
your  security  that  you  are  a  saved  sinner ; 
and  the  belief  of  this  cannot  but  bring  peace 
and  joy  into  your  heart.  According  to  your 
faith,  so  will  your  comfort.be.  But  if  you 
rest  not  here,  get  comfort  where  you  will,  it 
w  ill  not  be  true  ;  it  cannot  be  lasting.  Not 
true  ;  because  all  comfort  dwells  in  Christ ; 
everything  else  is  emptiness  and  vanity — 
not  lasting  ;  because  frames,  feelings,  habits, 
graces,  joys,  &c.  &c.,  ebb  and  flow.  Only 
Christ  abideth  the  same  forever,  and  only  his 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


187 


unchangeable  word  can  fix  your  comfort. 
Trust  it ;  make  it  your  constant  warrant  to 
go  to  Christ  for  comfort,  and  he  cannot  deny 
his  word :  according  to  your  faith,  so  will  he 
give  unto  you. 

Don't  think,  my  good  friend,  I  would  have 
you  to  walk  mourning  and  melancholy.  No. 
There  is  nothing  in  Christ  to  make  you  so. 
He  is  all  light,  and  life,  and  love,  and  joy, 
and  that  without  ceasing;  an  infinite  and 
everlasting  fullness  of  all  blessings.  I  would 
lead  you  to  him  in  the  direct  road,  which  is 
to  lead  you  out  of  self  entirely.  Christ  is  the 
way — look  more  at  him,  and  less  at  self; 
trust  more  to  him,  and  less  to  your  faith  or 
comforts ;  live  upon  nothing  in  yourself,  but 
live  every  moment  upon  him ;  don't  eye  his 
gifts  so  much — fix  your  heart  upon  the  giver ; 
be  ahvays  thinking  of  his  fullness  whenever 
you  feel  your  own  emptiness;  whatever  you 
are,  or  do,  or  suffer,  let  all  things  bring  you 
to  make  (forgive  me,  I  must  go  on :  I  take 
up  another  half-sheet,  and  I  beseech  you, 
again  and  again,  let  all  things  bring  you  to 
make)  use  of  Christ.  Read  about  him.  Go 
to  your  closet  to  converse  with  him.  Go  to 
church  to  meet  him.    Make  him  your  com- 


188  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

panion.  Accustom  your  mind  to  meditate 
upon  him.  Pray  without  ceasing  to  him  as 
your  bosom  friend.  Don't  be  shy  of  him ;  he 
hates  shyness.  Draw  near ;  he  bids  you 
come  with  boldness,  vile,  unthankful,  un- 
profitable, as  you  are  :  his  dear  heart  is  al- 
ways open  to  hear  your  complaints,  and  to 
relieve  your  distresses,  be  they  what  they 
will.  Remember,  he  is  the  Sun  of  our  world, 
and  you  cannot  be  thus  always  in  his  pres- 
ence without  being  enlightened  by  his  rays 
and  cherished  with  his  warm  beams.  When 
any  are  very  cold  within  doors,  and  see  the 
sun  shining  sweetly,  they  don't  use  to  ask. 
Is  it  my  sun  ?  May  I  go  out  to  walk  in  the 
noon-day  brightness,  and  get  myself  warm  in 
this  delightful  sunshine  ?  Is  it  for  me  ?  yes, 
make  use  of  it,  who  will :  it  shines  for  you ; 
Christ  is  as  freely  yours  as  that  sunshine. 
You  may  walk  in  his  light,  and  enjoy  his 
comforts.  You  may  take  him  for  your  right- 
eousness, and  your  holiness;  you  may  Uve 
on  him  for  grace  and  glory.  He  is  yours,  and 
all  he  has  is  yours  also,  for  your  use  to-day 
and  for  ever. 

Thus  you  see,  my  good  friend,  how  we 
intend  to  live  in  London  through  the  year 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


189 


1772.  Christ  is  our  all,  not  only  in  our 
title  to  salvation,  but  also  in  our  present  en- 
joyment of  its  blessings.  We  expect  a  great 
income,  and  all  from  Christ.  Our  faith  in 
him  is  not  an  empty  notion,  (as  the  world 
thinks,)  but  it  is  a  reality.  Christ  is  the  sub- 
stance ;  all  besides  is  shadow ;  and  by  faith 
we  now  take  possession  of  the  substance. 
We  live  by  him,  and  we  live  on  him.  We 
need  envy  nobody.  What  are  princes  to  us? 
Our  estate  is  vastly  beyond  theirs  ;  the  in- 
heritance is  sure  ;  the  riches  unsearchable  ; 
and  the  income — ask  and  have  ;  and  that 
increasing  through  eternity.  O  blessed, 
most  blessed  inheritance  !  The  prospect  is 
not  like  that  of  Moses.  He  only  saw  the 
country,  but  we  go  over  Jordan.  We,  who 
have  believed,  do  enter  into  rest.  We  are 
living  in  the  land  which  floweth  with  milk 
and  honey,  which  is  the  glory  of  all  lands. 
An  heir  of  this  country  may  live  in  the  poor- 
est cottage  at  K— ,  and  yet  be  richer  than 
a  king.  If  he  live  this  year,  as  he  should 
do,  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  what  are 
the  riches  of  emperors  compared  to  his  ? 
He  can  look  into  his  title-deeds,  and  there 
read  two  clauses,  which  make  him  rich, 


190  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

even  beyond  conception ;  all  things  are 

YOURS  AND  YOURS  FOR  EVER. 

I  know  what  you  will  think,  as  well  as  if 
I  heard  you  tell  me  your  thoughts.  I  am 
acquainted  with  the  vile  suggestions  of  the 
enemy.  He  may  tempt  you  to  doubt  of 
these  truths,  on  account  of  your  having  still 
so  many  wants.  But,  my  friend,  the  more 
the  better.  We  should  glory  in  our  wants. 
They  make  us  rich :  for  we  can  want  nothing 
but  it  is  in  Christ's  fullness,  and  laid  up  there 
for  us.  This  makes  way  for  a  constant  in- 
tercourse between  you  and  Christ,  and  keeps 
up  a  holy  friendship  in  giving  and  receiving. 
By  this  means  a  sweet  familiarity  will  be 
maintained,  and  a  growing  intimacy  cherish- 
ed. Christ  requires  you  would  be  free  with 
him,  and  draw  largely  upon  his  bank.  Ev- 
ery moment  you  want  something.  Christ 
says,  "  Here  it  is ;  come  to  me  for  it:  I  can 
deny  you  nothing."  O  go  to  him  at  his 
bidding,  and  put  honor  upon  his  love.  Your 
many,  your  great  wants,  will  only  give  him 
an  occasion  to  show  how  much  he  loveth 
you.  He  has  for  you  bowels  of  the  tender- 
est  compassion.  He  feels  for  you  more  than 
you  can  think.    Blessed  is  that  want,  look 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


191 


at  it  by  faith,  and  you  will  find  it  so,  which 
brings  you  to  Christ  for  a  supply. 

Do  you  want  Temporals — read  my  Grant, 
Matt.  vi.  32 — or  Spirituals,  trust  my  Prom- 
ise, Eph.  i.  3 — or  Eternals,  look  at  my 
Gift  in  Rom.  vi.  23 ;  and  be  assured  I  will 
withhold  from  you  no  manner  of  thing  that 
is  good.  Stand  upon  this  ground,  and  here 
survey  your  wants :  be  they  what  they  will, 
trust  Christ  for  a  supply.  Live  like  a  Chris- 
tian, by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  for  tem- 
porals, spirituals,  and  eternals :  this  is  living. 
This  is  holy  living ;  for  you  cannot  be  thus 
receiving  every  moment  out  of  Christ's  full- 
ness, but  you  must  feel  some  gratitude  to 
your  Divine  friend,  and  a  growing  willing- 
ness to  be  his  debtor  for  grace,  and  to  be 
one  of  his  pensioners  for  glory.  This  is 
HIGH  living.  For  then  has  the  Holy  Spirit 
magnified  Jesus  in  you  upon  earth,  when 
you  make  him  all  and  in  all  ;  and  then 
has  he  given  you  the  certain  earnest  that  he 
Avill  bring  you  to  heaven,  where  you  will 
find  Jesus  all  and  in  all,  for  ever  and 
ever. 

This  is  a  little  touch  of  our  new  year's 
gift.  Pray  tell  Miss  W  r  it's  our  standing 


192  LETTERS   OK   THE  LATE 

dish  for  1772  :  I  wish  her  a  good  stomach  to 
feast  on  it  with  us  ;  it  is  food  and  physic  :  I 
know  she  likes  it.  I  don't  doubt  but  in  a 
very  short  time  she  and  I  shall  sit  down  at 
the  King's  own  table,  and  feast  with  him, 
and  on  him,  and  bless  him,  as  long  as  we 
have  our  being.  Pray  tell  them  at  the  next 
door,  Christ  is  all.  And  tell  my  dear 
little  Vicar,  to  whom  my  heart  is  knit,  to 

exalt  Christ — Up  with  him,  Mr.  B  ; 

come,  try ;  up  with  him  a  little  higher. 
Pray,  and  preach,  and  live,  that  Christ  be 
exalted.    God  bless  the  lifting  up  of  Christ 

in  K  pulpit!  Amen. 

There  is  nothing  I  wish  myself  of  good 

but  I  wish  it  to  Mr.  M  .    I  really  love 

my  K  friends,  and  often  think  of  that 

precious  child.  O  Lord,  keep  him  !  Jesus, 
save  him  !  may  death  never  part  mother  and 
son.  I  wish  my  prayers  may  be  heard  for 
him.  His  portion  with  us  is  worth  a  thou- 
sand K  s.    May  he  find  with  us  Christ 

his  ALL. 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


193 


LETTER  XLII. 


Blackfriars,  May  G,  1772. 

My  dear  Friend  : — Indeed  you  serve  me 
right ;  it  is  good  to  settle  an  even  account 
with  me.  I  was  so  many  months  in  writing ; 
so  will  you  be  to  a  day.  This  is  rather  a 
too  hard  and  strict  way  of  learning  me  to 
write  oftener.  I  could  have  wished  you  to 
write  again  and  again,  and  to  set  me  an  ex- 
ample of  what  I  ought  to  do.  But  I  submit 
to  your  judgment,  and  stand  corrected  in 
your  way. 

Hearing  of  Mr.  I  n's  coming  to  town, 

I  did  think  of  some  note  :  such  as,  "  we  are 
much  hurried;  time  taken  up  greatly;  so 
many  interruptions,  that,  when  I  have  pro- 
posed to  sit  down  to  ask  my  good  friend  how 
he  does,  1  am  called  away." 

Nothing  came,  however;  I  am  resolved  to 
grow  better.  My  acquaintance  are  still  much 
upon  my  mind  and  heart.  Distance  of  time 
9 


194 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


and  place  have  made  no  change.  I  love 
them  in  the  Lord,  and  for  the  Lord's  sake. 
O  he  is  kind  to  you  !  How  many  singular 
blessings  have  you!  how  highly  favored  in 
temporals  !  Try  to  number  them  if  you  can. 
How  most  highly  favored  in  spirituals,  which 
are  inestimable  and  eternal  blessings !  I  feel 
thankfulness  for  you,  and  pray  for  the  con- 
tinuance of  all  your  mercies,  with  a  growing 
sense  of  your  unworthiness  of  the  least  of 

them.    Mr.  I  n  presses  me  much  to  say 

that  I  will  come  into  the  north  this  summer; 
but  I  cannot  answer  him  directly.  If  I  do, 
it  will  not  be  without  spending  some  time 
at  your  house.  He  gives  me  a  good  account 
of  Miss  W  r,  to  whom  I  desire  to  be  re- 
membered, with  my  best  w  ishes.  All  man- 
ner of  blessings  rest  upon  Mr.  M  ;  may 

the  Lord  take  that  Isaac  of  yours  in  his  arras, 
and  lay  his  hands  on  him  and  bless  him. 
Good  success  to  my  friend  the  Vicar;  tell 
him  the  king  has  appointed  Mr.  I.  S.  a  pre- 
bendary of  W  r.    The  hearts  of  kings 

are  in  the  hands  of  our  Jesus:  if  he  be  ours, 
he  will  make  all  things  ours.    Remember  in 

your  prayers  a  friend  to  you  and  K  , 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


195 


LETTER  XLIII. 


November  23, 1773. 

My  dear  Frieivd  : — As  I  have  not  been 
permitted  to  talk  to  you  face  to  face  this 
summer,  why  should  not  I  converse  -with 
you  in  another  way  ?  I  think  it  right  to  tell 
you  my  present  feelings,  and  how  I  stand 
affected  towards  you.  I  believe  that  all  the 
true  love  in  the  world  comes  from  the  infi- 
nite fullness  of  Jesus.  It  has  no  other  source : 
and  he  has  (eternal  blessings  on  him !) 
warmed  my  cold  heart  with  some  of  his 
precious  love.  I  feel  a  ray  of  it  drawing  my 
affections  to  my  dear  friend.  Its  sweet  in- 
fluence is  from  above:  its  origin  is  Divine; 
it  is,  indeed,  of  heavenly  extraction  and 
birth.  No  thanks  to  me  that  it  partakes  of 
some  of  the  gracious  properties  of  the  foun- 
tain from  whence  it  springs ;  for  some  of 
them  it  has,  my  conscience  bearing  me  wit- 


196  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

ness.  And  these,  I  confess,  are  not  natives 
of  mine  own  soil :  not  being  planted  in  it,  am 
I  able  to  make  them  grow  and  flourish  ?  O 
no  !  The  God  of  all  grace  is  the  free  giver ; 
he  is  tlie  mighty  continuer :  without  him 
they  would  have  never  been ;  without  him 
they  would  have  died  at  their  birth,  and 
gone  out  like  a  spark  in  the  ocean.  But  I 
do  really  find  some  of  the  image  and  like- 
ness of  my  loving  Lord  upon  my  heart,  and 
that  towards  you.  Thei'e  can  be  no  tme 
friendship  without  an  union  of  spirit.  In 
order  to  be  pure  and  steadfast,  it  must  be 
refined  from  selfish  views  and  carnal  motives; 
it  must  spring  from  no  outward  attachment, 
but  from  a  real  agreement  and  harmony  of 
soul ;  such  is  the  nature  of  Christian  friend- 
ship. It  is  beyond  all  Plato's  rules,  and 
Seneca's  morals.  They  had  no  idea  of  it. 
Reason  the  most  refined  could  never  under- 
stand our  doctrine.  He  that  is  joined  to  the 
Lord  is  one  spirit ;  a  most  wonderful  union ; 
big  with  blessings,  temporal  and  eternal. 
Among  its  temporal  blessings,  it  is  not 
the  least  that  he  reforms  the  heart,  and 
makes  it  loving,  like  his  own ;  capable  of 
receiving  its  heavenly  friendship,  and  capa- 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


197 


ble  of  showing  it  to  his  praise,  by  especial 
love  to  his  brethren  and  our  brethi-en. 

In  whatever  view  I  am  considering  our 
Divine  Friend,  there  is  always  something 
Avhich  gives  him,  and  most  justly,  the  pre- 
eminence. He  is,  and  will  be  for  ever,  the 
most  blessed  head,  which  communicates  life, 
and  breath,  and  all  things,  to  every  member. 
In  the  character  now  before  us,  O  how  ex- 
alted, how  glorious  is  he!  Yes,  he  is  be- 
yond all  blessing  and  praise,  for  being  a 
present  Saviour  to  his  people  ;  as  he  mightily 
delivers  them  from  the  tyranny  of  their  vile 
tempers,  and  renders  them  happy  in  one 
another.  It  is  from  his  grace  that  they  put 
on,  as  the  elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved, 
bowels  of  mercies,  kindness,  humbleness  of 
mind,  meekness,  &c.  He  plants  those  vir- 
tues in  the  heart ;  he  waters  them  with  the 
rain  of  heaven ;  he  shines  upon  them ;  and 
he  makes  them  flourish  in  spite  of  all  the 
opposition  of  selfish  passions  and  inbred 
lusts ;  indeed  he  does.  There  are  persons 
in  the  world  who  are  infinitely  indebted  to 
Jesus  Christ  for  that  brotherly  love  which  is 
the  bond  of  perfectness,  and  who,  in  some 
measure,  walk  in  love,  according  to  his 


198  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

teaching.  But  they  mourn,  I  know  they  do, 
because  they  find  so  little  gratitude  to  him, 
and  so  little  conformity  to  his  example.  Yet 
some  likeness  there  is,  and  they  are  striving 
every  day  for  more,  still  setting  out  afresh  : 
not  content  with  any  past  attainment,  they 
study  both  to  love  him  more,  and  to  draw 
more  virtue  from  him,  that  they  may  love 
others  as  Christ  also  loved  them. 

Methinks  I  see  one  of  his  disciples  warm 
and  eager  in  this  pursuit.  I  stop  him,  and 
ask,  Sir,  upon  what  principle  is  it  that  your 
heart  is  so  set  upon  being  like  Christ  ?  you 
are  quite  unwearied  in  having  your  own 
hateful  tempers  subdued,  and  in  putting  on 
the  sweet  dispositions  of  the  meek  and  lowly 
Jesus. 

His  answer,  I  am  sure,  would  be,  "The 
love  of  Christ  constraineth  me  :  O  how  I  feel 
the  blessed  effect  of  being  one  with  my 
Lord !  He  has  taught  me  in  my  very  heart 
to  love  God,  and  man  for  God's  sake  ;  to  this 
dearest  Jesus  I  am  indebted  for  my  paradise 
restored ;  and  I  am  never  happier  than  when 
I  am  sensible  of  my  vast  debt ;  for  then  I 
love  him  best,  and  am  most  enabled  to  mani- 
fest it  to  men.    Beyond  description,  beyond 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


199 


conception  of  any,  yea,  all  the  glorified  saint?, 
is  the  love  of  Immanuel  to  my  soul ;  it  is 
like  himself,  infinite  and  boundless ;  it  is 
quite  free,  given  to  the  unworthiest,  and  to 
the  most  unthankful ;  a  perfect  love,  nothing 
but  love,  such  as  excludes  all  shyness  and 
coldness,  prevents  misconstructions  and  quar- 
rels, yea,  removes  the  very  cause  and  ground 
of  them.  A  communicative  love,  most  gene- 
rously bestowing  a  right  and  title  to  all  bless- 
ings upon  the  beloved;  for  thus  the  grant  of 
the  great  charter  runs :  all  mine  are  thine ; 
and,  to  crown  the  whole,  it  is  a  lasting  love; 
yea,  everlasting,  reaching  from  eternity  to 
eternity.  The  more  I  study  and  experience 
of  this  heavenly  love,  the  more  I  find  my 
heart  affected  with  it,  and  the  more  I  wish 
that  all  my  friendships  may  reflect  some 
image  of,  and  bring  some  glory  to,  the  friend- 
ship of  my  Jesus." 

Having  read  this  passage  over  carefully,  I 
can,  if  called  upon,  set  my  hand  and  seal 
to  it.  All  this  I  know  to  be  true.  W.  R. 
Some  little  spark  of  this  holy  flame  (but, 
though  little,  inestimable)  has  long  ago 
thawed  my  frozen  heart,  and  has  kept  a 
warmth  of  affection  in  it  which  he  that  kindled 


200 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


often  hears  of  in  prayer  and  praise  for  you, 
and  of  which  they  who  know  you,  and  come 
in  my  way,  hear  also.  Some  kind  provi- 
dence will,  I  doubt  not,  ere  long,  let  you 
hear  it  with  your  own  ears.  With  pleasing 
hope  I  look  forward  to  a  present,  because  I 
am  sure  of  a  future,  meeting  which  will 
never  end.  Our  friendship  will  run  coeval 
with  our  being ;  it  is  an  union  formed  by 
the  Divine  hand  of  Jesus,  who  has  won  our 
hearts,  and  made  them  one  in  himself,  in  a 
bond  which  he  will  not,  and  none  else  can, 
break :  so  that  we  may  sing,  in  humble  con- 
fidence, all  our  way  to  Sion, 

The  love  divine 
That  made  us  thine. 
Shall  keep  us  thine  for  ever. 

Tell  Mr.  B  he  is  in  my  debt,  and  I 

wish  him  to  get  out  of  it;  but  he  must 
pray  a  good  deal  for  me  before  he  does;  so 
must  you.  Pray  the  more  for  me.  Ply  the 
throne.    Mrs.  Romaine  joins  in  all. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


201 


LETTER  XLIV. 


Grace  and  peace  be  abundantly  multiplied 
to  my  dear  friend  from  the  Lord  Christy 
may  all  whom  she  loves  partake  of  his  love ! 
I  have  been  kept  from  writing  to  you,  and 
acknowledging  your  many  favors  to  me  and 
mine,  by  my  Master's  business.  As  soon  as 
I  came  home  I  was  invited  to  preach  in 
Buckinghamshire,  where  we  have  had  the 
Lord  with  us  of  a  truth.  Oh,  what  am  I, 
that  mine  eyes  should  see  such  things  as  I 
see  !  I,  who  am  the  veriest  filthy  dunghill- 
sinner  that  God  ever  suffered  to  live;  that 
I,  even  I,  should  partake  of  his  grace,  as 
well  as  preach  it;  oh,  it  is  astonishing! 
Surely,  if  I  ever  get  to  heaven  (and  I  must 
not  doubt  of  getting  thither),  I  shall  beat 
Mary  Magdalen,  and  Paul,  and  Peter,  and 
Manasseh,  all  to  nothing.  They  had  not 
half  to  pardon  that  I  have ;  and  yet,  glory, 
glory,  glory  be  to  Jesus,  I  am  among  his 
9* 


202  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

pardoned  ones.  Wlio,  then,  shall  sing  his 
praises  in  such  a  high  note  as  I  can  ?  None, 
no,  not  one  of  them  all.  I  am  the  most  in- 
debted to  free  grace  of  all  that  ever  were 
saved  out  of  hell.  May  my  experience  tend 
to  the  strengthening  of  your  faith  ! 

Dear  Madam,  you  almost  overcome  me 
v>  ith.  kindness.  I  shall  be  afraid  to  call  and 
see  you,  lest  you  make  me  proud :  for  what 
have  I  good  in  me  ?  Nothing.  What  good 
do  I  ?  None  at  all.  Whatever  good  is  in 
man,  whatever  good  is  done  upon  earth,  the 
Lord  doeth  it  himself  Down,  then,  with 
man :  lay  low  his  lofty  looks,  and  up  with 
Christ.  Exalt  him ;  too  high  we  cannot  raise 
him,  too  low  we  cannot  humble  the  sinner. 
I  would  have  you,  therefore,  not  to  look  at 
me,  but  at  my  precious,  dear  Master :  look 
unto  him,  and  you  shall  be  saved.  Look 
unto  me  for  anything,  and  you  shall  infallibly 
be  disappointed. 

Present  my  hearty  love  in  the  bowels  of 

Christ  Jesus  to  your  sister  W  r.    I  find 

great  fellowship  with  her,  as  a  member  of  the 
same  body,  and  actuated  by  the  same  spirit; 
and  tell  her  from  me,  that  she  cannot  make  too 
much  use  of  Christ.    The  more  she  uses  him 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


203 


ill  all  tilings,  the  happier  will  she  be.  To 
this  I  can  set  my^seal.    Prohatum  est. 

I  fail  not  to  remember  Mr.  M  ,  when 

I  am  near,  and  have  freedom  with  my  pre- 
cious Master.  May  you  never  want  his 
presence  !  My  wife  joins  in  thanks,  and  is, 
with  me,  yours  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 

W.  R. 


204 


LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 


LETTER  XLV. 


October  28, 1773. 

My  good  Friend  : — Having  an  opportu- 
nity of  sending  my  hearty  love  to  you  by  Mr. 
I — — n,  I  could  not  avoid  embracing  it.  You 
are  often  on  my  mind  and  in  my  prayers. 
Really,  my  dear  Madam,  you  are  one  of  them 
by  whom  I  find  the  truth  of  what  I  believe 
concerning  the  communion  of  saints,  I  ex- 
perience it  in  its  comfort ;  for  I  feel  with  you, 
rejoicing  in  your  joys,  and  taking  part  in 
your  sorrows.  I  have  a  good  account  of 
your  health,  a  great  blessing  (may  it  con- 
tinue) ;  and  of  your  spiritual  health,  which 
is  a  greater :  may  that  increase  !  and  it  will, 
as  you  live  more  in,  on,  and  to  Christ  Jesus ; 
coming  daily  as  a  poor  sinner  to  live  on  a 
rich  Saviour.  This  is  the  great  secret  of  the 
Gospel.  Nothing  should  keep  you  from 
Christ.    However  you  feel,  whatever  you 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


205 


have  done,  at  all  times,  in  all  places  and 
frames,  go  to  Jesus.  I  have  been  at  this  les- 
son a  great  while,  and  though  very  dull  and 
stupid,  yet,  through  marvelous  grace,  I  have 
learned  something.  When  things  go  well, 
we  are  apt  to  rest  in  them :  I  do  not ;  my 
Jesus  makes  them  well ;  I  thank  him,  and 
rest  in  him,  and  not  in  his  gifts  :  I  enjoy  him 
in  them  ;  and  when  things  go  badly,  inward 
or  outward,  I  would  not  stay  from  him  to 
complain  or  murmur  one  moment,  but,  reject- 
ing myself  entirely,  take  him  for  my  whole 
complete  happiness.  Let  things  go  as  they 
will,  I  look  at  Jesus  through  them,  and  would 
make  use  of  them  to  lead  me  to  live  more 
upon  him.  This  seems  easy;  but  try  it.  I 
wish  you  a  better  scholar  at  it  than  I  am.  I 
hear  you  had  a  warning  to  be  ready  at  the 
next  door.  I  pray  for  its  good  effect.  When 

the  messenger  comes,  may  every  M  lift 

up  his  and  her  head  with  joy  ! 

I  grow  old,  and  find  marks  of  the  taberna- 
cle's wearing  out  fast ;  but  I  know  in  whom 
I  have  believed.  To  him  I  commend  you 
and  yours.  Mrs.  R.  joins  in  every  good  wish 
to  all  yours  and  you.  Do  not  fail  to  pray 
for 

W.  R. 


206 


LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 


LETTER  XLVI. 


Blackfriars,  June  24, 1777. 

My  very  good  Friend  : — ^Our  journey  is 
settled  for  Thursday  morning  next ;  we 
move  slowly.  Hope  to  be  with  you  on  Sat- 
urday, perhaps  to  dinner.    Will  you  desire 

Mr,  B  to  give  me  leave  to  speak  to  his 

people,  Sunday  morning.    I  shall  take  it  as  a 

favor.    I  have  seen  poor  D  ;  he  is  a  very 

great  penitent.  The  Lord  has  brought  him 
through  the  fire ;  a  miracle  of  mercy.  Be- 
fore this  reach  you,  it's  likely  he  will  be 
adoring  the  love  of  a  triune  God.  My  jour- 
ney has  been  with  much  prayer.  He  that 
makes  men  to  be  of  one  mind  in  a  house, 
will,  I  hope,  unite  us  to  himself  by  his  lov- 
ing Spirit,  and  render  us  useful  to  each  other, 
as  iron  sharpeneth  iron.  I  do  not,  I  cannot, 
forget  your  family,  Mr.  M  ,  and  your  be- 
loved Isaac  :  I  often  have  them  on  my  mind. 
I  am,  with  great  respect  in  our  common  Lord, 
yours, 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


207 


LETTER  XLVII. 


August  2,  1779. 

My  dear  Friend  : — We  remembered  you 
and  yours  very  particularly  on  the  7tli  of 
May  last.  Blessings  on  the  birth  of  that 
day !  I  know  more  about  it  in  '79  than  I 
did  before,  and  more  reason  to  honor  and 
esteem  you.  I  send  you  inclosed  a  little 
token  of  respect.  You  had  it  in  the  last 
war,  and  it  is  now  again  expedient,  yea,  ne- 
cessary. I  hope  for  your  helping  hand  in 
this  good  work.  Some  must  fight  and  others 
must  pray.  One  is  as  much  wanted  as  the 
other.  If  Moses  does  not  pray,  Joshua  does 
not  conquer.  Prayers  gained  the  victory. 
Asa  has  a  great  army  of  one  million,  one 
hundred  thousand  good  soldiers ;  but  he  does 
not  tmst  so  much  to  them,  nor  conquer  so 
much  by  them,  as  by  his  prayers.  Jehosha- 
phat's  prayer  of  faith  vanquished  a  vast  host 
without  fighting.    Read  1  Chron.  v.  from  the 


208  LETTERS   OF  THE  LATE 

18th  to  the  23d  verse.  On  this  account  I 
beg  of  you,  my  dear  friend,  to  join  us.  You 

have  some  praying  people  at  K  ;  call 

upon  them  to  unite  on  this  occasion.  Re- 
member, the  effectual  fervent  prayer  of  a  right- 
eous man  availeth  much,  James  v.  To-day  it 
will  avail  as  much  as  it  did  in  the  time  of 
Elias.  May  God  give  you  the  Spirit  of  prayer, 
that  you  may  join  the  goodly  company 
throughout  the  land,  who  will  be  on  their 
knees  next  Sunday  at  eight  o'clock  !  It  is 
your  duty.  May  you  esteem  it  your  privi- 
lege !  and  I  wish  you  growing  communica- 
tion Avith  your  God ;  more  delight  daily  in 
approaching  the  throne  of  his  grace,  and 
more  blessings  coming  from  him  on  you  and 
yours.  We  have  already  many  hands  lifted 
up  to  engage  the  Lord  of  Hosts  on  our  side. 
Mine  are  engaged,  and  I  trust  will  not  hang 
down  till  peace  return. 

Mrs.  Romaine  is  with  me,  and  well.  With 
her  and  my  best  wishes,  I  am,  in  our  dear 
Lord,  your  friend  and  obliged  servant, 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


209 


LETTER  XLVIII. 


Blackfkiars,  November  30,  1779. 

My  good  Friend  : — I  have  been  taught  to 
weep  with  them  that  weep.  They  cannot 
but  feel  with  and  for  one  another  who  are 
joined  to  the  Lord  in  one  Spirit.  That  you 
suffer  seems  grievous  to  the  flesh.  I  sympa- 
thize with  you ;  but  I  also  find  the  Lord  is 
with  you,  supports  you,  yea,  he  comforts 
you;  therein  I  do  rejoice.  My  prayer  is  for 
much  patience  under  his  hand,  and  much 
profit  from  his  rod.  Let  me  direct  your  at- 
tention to  Hebrews  xii.  from  the  5th  verse 
to  the  14th.  The  whole  matter  turns  upon 
the  character  of  the  person  who  afflicts.  Is 
it  in  wrath,  or  in  love  1  Does  he  punish  as 
a  judge,  or  correct  as  a  father  1  Mind  how 
the  sentence  begins — My  son  : — Keep  this 
upon  your  heart.  You  have  fled  to  Jesus, 
you  have  taken  the  benefit  of  his  atonement 
and  of  his  righteousness ;  you  are,  therefore, 
the  adopted  child  of  the  most  high  God. 


210  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

And  you  must  not  think  he  changes  his  love 
when  he  changes  his  dispensations.  He  is 
always  your  Father.  And  say,  his  rod  is  for 
the  present  not  joyous,  but  grievous ;  yet 
mind  verse  11,  it  only  seemeth;  the  flesh 
seems  to  be  hurt,  but  really  it  is  not ;  it  is 
only  in  appearance.  Look  nearer ;  you  may 
easily  see  love  sending,  love  inflicting ;  and 
wait  a  little,  you  will  have  reason  to  thank 
your  Father  for  the  blessed  fruits  of  his  love. 
If  you  live,  you  will  find  them  very  rich  and 
ripe.    If  he  spare  life,  my  first  journey  shall 

be  to  K  .    I  have  great  fellowship  with 

the  afilicted.  I  shall  hope  and  pray  for  your 
support  and  comforts ;  my  God  has  promised 
both.  May  they  be  abundant !  This  sum- 
mer lias  given  me  great  occasion  to  learn  the 
same  lesson  with  you  ;  and  I  can  set  to  my 
seal,  that  God  is  good,  and  doeth  good,  no- 
thing but  good,  to  his  children.  To  his  ten- 
der care  I  commend  you  and  yours.  Look 
above,  live  above,  both  your  joys  and  sor- 
rows ;  make  Jesus,  at  least  you  wish  to  make 
Jesus,  your  all.  I  shall  be  thankful  for  a 
line  when  convenient,  to  tell  me  more  of  his 
dealings  with  you ;  and  am,  in  him,  your 
faithful  dear  friend  and  servant, 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


211 


LETTER  XLIX. 


Saturday,  March  29. 

My  good  Friend  : — I  have  an  opportunity 

of  sending  my  respects  to  you  by  Mr.  I  n, 

but  I  chose  to  give  them  to  you  under  mine 
own  hand.  Although  I  do  not  see  you,  yet 
you  have  a  place  in  my  heart,  and  in  and  for 
the  Lord's  sake,  who  cliangeth  not.  I  re- 
member K  in  my  best  times,  you  and 

yours.  One  proof,  of  it  I  hope  to  give  this 
summer,  if  I  am  spared.  Age  is  coming  on 
fast.  Infirmities  many  and  great ;  traveling 
is  a  burden.  But  before  I  go  hence,  I  pur- 
pose once  more  to  visit  my  Y  re  friends. 

I  feel  towards  them  some  of  that  grace  men- 
tioned Rom.  i.  11,  12,  which  grows  by  giv- 
ing and  receiving ;  as,  indeed,  all  the  gifts 
of  Christ  do :  the  more  you  use,  the  more 
you  have  :  you  become  richer  for  what  you 
lay  out.  Such  a  wonderful  fullness  flows 
from  Christ,  that  he  who  spends  most  for 


212  LETTERS   OF   THE  LATE 

him,  gets  most  from  him.  O  that  my  jour- 
ney may  be  of  this  kind ;  to  your  profit  and 
mine,  and  to  Christ's  glory !  I  know  not 
what  time  it  will  he ;  but  will  not  wait  on 
you  without  first  acquainting  you,  and  know- 
ing what  time  will  be  to  you  the  most  agree- 
able. 

Your  dear  boy  is  often  on  my  mind.  I  am 
.sure  you  do  not  wish  him  better  than  I  do. 
All  my  advice  is  turned  into  prayer.  You 

will  give  my  love  to  Mr.  B  y,  of  whom  I 

hear  good  things.  Mrs.  R.  desires  her  kind 
love  to  you  and  family.  We  had  yesterday 
such  a  solemn  time  as  I  never  expected  to 
see  in  London  :  it  was  very  truly  a  Good  Fri- 
day. My  hopes  revive  for  this  guilty  land  ; 
For  them  that  honor  me,  says  God,  I  will 
honor.  I  am  sure  he  was  honored  yester- 
day. Let  me,  my  good  friend,  not  in  com- 
pliment I  ask,  be  remembered  by  you  in 
prayer.  My  time  is  short.  Pray  that  I  may 
be  kept  humble  and  thankful.  I  am,  with 
true  Christian  affection,  in  and  for  my  dear 
Lord's  sake,  your  friend  and  servant, 

W.  R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


213 


LETTER  L. 


November  16,  1780. 

My  dear  Friend  : — Wave  after  wave — ■ 
trouble  after  trouble — no  ceasing  till  we  get 
into  the  haven.  I  do  not  wish  you  out  of  them, 
but  to  profit  by  them.  The  furnace  is  to  refine 
gold  ;  so,  faith,  proved,  improved,  yea,  per- 
fected by  trials.  Mind  what  the  great  Re- 
finer says :  "  I  will  bring  the  third  part 
through  the  fire  ;  and  I  will  refine  them  as  sil- 
ver is  refined,  and  I  will  try  them  as  gold  is 
tried.  They  shall  call  on  my  name,  and  I 
will  hear  them.  I  will  say.  It  is  my  people; 
and  they  shall  say.  The  Lord  is  my  God." 
O  blessed  furnace  ! — What !  is  this  the  efiect 
of  being  put  into  it  ?  Does  the  Son  of  God 
appear  for  and  with  his  suffering  members  ? 
Does  he  keep  off  the  evil  of  suffering — give 
patience  under  it,  profit  from  it — deaden  the 
life  of  sense — quicken  the  life  of  faith — and 


214  LETTERS  OF   THE  LATE 

thus  bring  more  real  good  to  his  people  from 
their  trials,  than  from  all  the  comforts  that 
ever  they  had  ?  Say— It  is  great,  an  uncom- 
mon great  trial :  the  furnace  is  heated  seven 
times  more  than  it  was  wont  to  be  heated. 
Still,  this  is  not  to  destroy  faith,  but  to  refine 
and  exalt  it.  The  plain  lesson  from  hence 
to  be  learnt  is,  we  must  now  trust  more  to 
the  Lord,  and  less  to  self.  His  strength  must 
be  our  safety  and  not  our  weakness.  His 
blessings  must  be  our  happiness.  I  write 
these  things,  because  I  am  praying  for  them. 
It  is  not  so  much  advice,  as  prayer.  I  know 
my  Lord  can,  I  believe  my  Lord  uill,  help 
you  in  this  time  of  need.  Whatever  interest 
I  have  with  him  is  yours.  None  feel  for  you, 
or  can,  more  than  I  do. 

I  am  thankful,  however,  for  the  grace  of 
God  given  unto  you  at  this  trying  time.  The 
furnace  is  intended,  in  the  Father's  hand,  to 
prove  faith,  and  to  improve  it.  He  puts  it 
into  the  fire  like  gold,  that  upon  trial  it  may 
appear  sterling  ;  and  that,  losing  nothing  but 
dross  we  may  learn  to  trust  him  better.  You 
now  see  and  know  that  his  trials  of  faith  are 
acts  of  love.  The  burning  bush,  so  far  from 
being  consumed  in  the  flames,  is  cherished 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  215 

by  them,  and  grows.  Blessed  be  the  name 
of  our  God !  I  find  the  miracle  repeated  in 
our  visitations.  In  faith  and  patience  you 
possess  your  soul ;  yea,  the  smell  of  fire  does 
not  pass  upon  you.  Where  could  you  have 
learnt  what  God  has  been  teaching  you  so 
soon,  or  so  well  ?  All  is  well.  May  you  see 
more  of  his  love  in  every  dispensation !  Trust 
him.  Go  on  trusting,  without  doubt  or  wa- 
vering, and  he  will  grant  you  your  heart's 
desire.  I  commend  myself  very  earnestly  to 
your  remembrance  in  the  best  place.  Men- 
tion me  to  your  divine  and  almighty  Friend, 
in  whom  I  am,  with  my  very  best  wishes, 
your  friend  and  servant, 

W.  R. 

P.  S.  Our  text  for  to-morrow  is — We  are 
the  (rue  circumcision,  &c.  Phil.  iii.  3.  God 
fulfill  it,  and  give  us  this  communion  with 
the  Trinity ! 


216 


LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 


LETTER  LI. 


May  16,  1732. 

My  very  dear  Friend  : — I  could  not 
neglect  this  opportunity  of  assuring  you  how- 
much  I  remember  you  in  the  best  place. 
Our  Lord  knows  the  needs  must  of  suffering. 
He  loves  you  too  well  to  deprive  you  of  your 
portion.  He  himself  went,  and  all  his  go, 
the  same  way  to  glory.  They  drink  of  the 
brook  in  the  way ;  and  they  drink  it  out  of 
the  cup  of  salvation.  True,  it  is  bitter.  I 
find  it  very  bitter ;  as  unpalatable  as  you  can 
find  it.  But  I  am  praying  it  may  prove  more 
salutary  to  you  and  to  me ;  and  this  it  cannot 
do  while  we  murmur  and  complain.  It  is 
sent  to  stop  this  working  of  self-will.  The 
flesh  is  impatient  and  frets :  the  spirit  stops 
its  rebellion,  and  says,  Not  my  will,  Lord, 
but  thine  be  done.  Amen  !  May  this  be  the 
end  of  all  your  trials !  May  you  come  out 
of  them  like  gold  out  of  the  fire  ! 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  217 

I  hear  you  have  a  present  exercise  ;  viz. : 
your  young  and  beloved  Isaac  to  be  parted 
from  you.  There  is  grace  sufficient  even  for 
this.  You  do  not  love  your  son  more  than  I 
did  mine.  It  cannot  cross  your  vrill  more 
than  it  did  mine  :  but  my  son  went  into  the 
army,  and  I  do  not  repent ;  it  was  his  choice. 
He  has  been  kept,  as  far  as  I  know,  from 
army-sins ;  and  the  same  good  God  may  also 
keep  your  son.  Trust  him  in  his  loving  and 
careful  guidance  ;  and  the  Lord  will  do  what 
is  best  both  for  him  and  for  you. 

 Your  one  business  is  to  trust  your  all 

in  the  hands  of  Christ ;  having  received  him, 
then  to  live  upon  him.  Remember,  he  is  to 
answer  everrj  purpose,  body  and  soul ;  you 
and  yours;  earth  and  heaven.  You  are 
not  living  up  to  your  privilege,  if  there  be 
any  person  or  thing  that  you  keep  back 
from  Christ,  and  do  not  leave  to  his  absolute 
management.  The  command  runs  :  "  Trust 
in  him,  at  all  times,  ye  people."  Pray  him 
to  make  you  willing  to  part  with  your  son,  as 
he  did  Abraham.  Pray  him  to  give  you  more 
faith  to  trust  him  in  the  Lord's  hand:  and 
then  follow  him  with  your  daily  prayers  that 
the  good  Lord  may  keep  him  from  all  evil. 
10 


218  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

When  you  have  done  this,  the  rest  must  be 
left.  The  Lord  will  do  what  seemeth  him 
good  :  yea,  he  will  enable  you  to  say,  Come 
what  may,  all  is  w  ell. 

In  a  bond  never  to  be  broken,  I  am  yours 
in  Christ.  My  blessing  on  your  dear  son, 
and  prayers  for  him ! 

W.R. 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


219 


TO  A  FRIEND. 

ON  HUMILITY. 


Exlracled  iVom  "  Brown's  (of  Whitburne)  Colleclion  of  Letters." 


I  HAVE  ever  had  such  awful  apprehensions 
of  the  chai'ge  of  souls,  that  I  durst  not 
(though  often  solicited)  undertake  it,  ever 
since  I  knew  my  own  heart.  I  have  found 
myself  plagued  to  death  with  watching  over 
it :  what  must  it  be  to  watch  over  two  or 
three  thousand  ?  Who  is  sufficient  for  this  ? , 
I  feel  myself  as  unfit  for  it  as  to  have  the 
government  of  the  world  upon  my  shoulders; 
but  being  appointed  to  this  church,  not  only 
without  my  seeking,  but  also  against  my 
Avill,  and  having  an  undoubted  call  from 
God,  therefore  my  sufficiency  for  the  work 
being  of  God,  I  dare  not  stand  out.  I  have 
been  forced  to  say,  "  Here  am  I,  send  me  !" 


220  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

And  though  he  has  enabled  me  to  depend 
upon  him  for  grace  to  do  his  will,  both  in  me 
and  by  me,  yet  I  find  the  flesh  resisting,  and 
putting  forth  a  multitude  of  doubts  and  fears, 
in  order  to  discourage  me ;  besides  this,  I 
have  an  enemy  whom  I  do  not  wish  to  make 
my  friend,  and  who  hates  me  with  a  perfect 
hatred ;  but  I  make  the  Lord  my  strength, 
and  go  to  battle  in  the  power  of  his  might : 
I  am  sure  all  will  be  well  while  I  am  kept 
humble.  O  pray  that  I  may  be  a  good  sol- 
dier of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ !  but,  above 
all,  ask  for  me  humility.  A  humble  man 
can  come  to  no  harm ;  he  will  be  ever  trust- 
ing in  the  Lord,  because  he  finds  nothing  in 
himself  to  trust  in,  while  he  gives  great  glory 
to  God  by  trusting  much  in  him.  God  gives 
him  great  grace,  and  this  grace  is  to  keep 
alive  an  abiding  sense  of  what  he  is  in  him- 
self; to  show  him  his  ignorance  and  help- 
lessness, to  open  to  him  daily  more  of  the 
mystery  of  iniquity,  to  discover  to  him  the 
stirrings  of  corruption,  which  others  feel  not, 
and  make  him  sensible  of  these,  even  in  du- 
ties and  ordinances,  that  he  may  loathe  him- 
self and  his  very  best  works.  These  are  the 
fruits  of  true  grace  ;  and  he  that  is  under  the 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  221 

teachings  of  the  Holy  Ghost  will  abound  in 
them.  The  more  God  does  in  the  heart, 
the  more  he  humbles  it.  The  great  design 
of  his  grace  is  to  bring  the  proud  sinner  low, 
and  then  to  keep  him  low.  When  he  hath 
brought  us  low,  we  do  not  like  to  be  kept 
there,  we  want  to  get  up  again;  our  foolish 
desire  is,  that  he  may  do  something  in  us, 
for  which  we  may  have  a  good  opinion  of 
ourselves ;  and  so  with  this  thought,  we  are 
apt  to  wish,  Oh,  that  I  were  more  holy  ! 
Oh,  that  I  could  pray  better!  Oh,  that  I 
was  more  spiritual  in  my  duties  !  Oh,  that 
I  was  thankful  enough !  If  you  could  come 
to  the  true  nature  of  these  wishes,  (specious 
as  they  appear,)  you  would  find  them  spring 
from  the  secret  workings  of  a  proud,  self- 
righteous  spirit ;  take  off  their  cloak  of  lioli- 
ness,  and  their  meaning  is  this :  "  I  wish 
God  would  give  me  something  for  which  I 
might  be  pleased  with  myself"  If  this  was 
the  case,  would  not  the  eye  be  turned  in- 
ward upon  this  venj  good  self,  and  be  drawn 
off  from  looking  unto  Jesus,  and  so  far  as  self 
is  made  something,  Christ  is  made  nothing  ? 
You  may  depend  upon  this  as  one  of  the 
surest  axioms  of  divinity :  "  Whatsoever  it 
10* 


222  LETTERS    OF    THE  LATE 

be  .'that  makes  you  pleased  with  yourself, 
that  is  -  not  true  grace ;  and  whatsoever 
makes  you  displeased  with  yourself,  is  not 
true  gx-ace,  unless  it  bring  you  humble  to 
Christ,  and  make  you  put  more  trust  in  him." 
The  Lord  teach  you  these  things  practically ! 
I  have  learned  them  by  long  experience. 
Though  I  know  but  little,  yet  I  am  getting 
on  in  Christ's  school,  and  hope  soon  to  be  in 
the  lowest  form,  for  there  we  learn  most  and 
fastest ;  we  there  depend  entirely  on  the 
teaching  of  our  Divine  Master,  who  reveals 
his  secrets  to  none  but  babes.  A  new-born 
babe  absolutely  depends  on  the  care  of  its 
parents,  so  must  we  depend  on  God,  on 
Christ,  our  prophet  and  teacher ;  and  when 
we  are  brought  thus  humble,  he  will  then 
make  known  to  us  what  he  hides  from  the 
wise  and  prudent.  I  would,  therefore,  wish 
you  the  humblest  man  upon  earth ;  then  not 
only  you  may  know  most,  but  love  most. 
He  that  feels  his  sins  and  miseries,  his  vile- 
ness  and  unprofitableness,  with  the  deepest 
loathings  of  them,  is  in  the  fittest  way  to 
love  Christ.  If  he  is  an  experienced  be- 
liever, the  feelings  of  these  sins  and  miseries 
will  make  Christ  more  precious ;  the  more 


WILLIAM  ROMAINE. 


223 


he  finds  of  the  exceeding  sinfuhiess  of  sin, 
the  more  he  will  trust  in  Christ's  righteous- 
ness ;  and  the  more  misery  he  knows,  the 
more  he  desires  salvation  ;  all  will  make  Je- 
sus more  dear  and  lovely.  His  own  vileness 
sets  forth  Christ's  grace ;  his  unworthiness 
the  worthiness  of  the  Lamb,  the  sufficiency 
of  Jesus,  who  is  ail  in  all.  When  you  are 
going  to  measure  Christ's  high  grace,  do  not 
get  upon  a  mountain,  but  go  down  into  a 
valley — lower  still,  to  the  belly  of  hell,  from 
whence  Jonah  cried ;  from  thence  see  the 
height  of  Jesus'  grace,  and  from  thence  see 
how  lovely  he  is.  When  the  Spirit  of  Jesus 
is  humbling  you,  showing  you  your  deceitful, 
wicked  heart,  laying  open  your  ruined  na- 
ture in  all  its  abominable  workings,  has  not 
this  often  discouraged  you,  my  friend,  and 
instead  of  loving  Christ  more,  and  trusting 
him  more,  did  it  not  weaken  your  trust  and 
lessen  your  love,  and,  therefore,  you  coun- 
teracted the  gracious  purposes  of  Jesus 
Christ  ?  May  he  teach  you  better !  that 
every  future  sense  of  sin  may  greatly 
endear  that  Lamb  of  God  to  you,  whose 
blood  cleanseth  from  all  sin.  Depend  upon 
it,  that  it  is  the  only  true  humbling  for  sin 


224  LETTERS    OF   THE  LATE 

which  makes  his  blood  more  precious.  Be 
faithful  to  your  own  heart ;  stop  here  a  mo- 
ment ;  look  back  and  read  what,  from  one 
thing  to  another,  I  have  written  to  you,  and 
examine,  if  you  do  not  begin  to  fear  for  the 
interest  of  duty  and  holy  obedience.  If  the 
more  I  feel  sin,  I  may  trust  the  more,  and 
love  Christ  the  more,  what  place  is  left  for 
obeying  ?  Is  that  your  thought  ?  To  which 
I  answer,  The  humblest  man  not  only  knows 
most,  and  loves  most,  but  also  obeys  most. 
Is  not  grace  the  principle  of  Gospel  obe- 
dience ?  And  does  not  God  give  grace  to 
the  humble,  grace  to  do  all  things,  grace  to 
suffer  all  things  ?  What  says  he  who  was 
less  than  the  least  in  his  own  eyes  ?  Oh !  "  I 
can  do  all  things  through  Christ  strengthen- 
ing me !"  The  humblest  lean  most  on 
Christ's  strength ;  and,  therefore,  through 
that  strength,  which  is  almighty,  he  can  do 
most ;  he  is  helped  best,  fights  most  coura- 
geously, conquers  most  triumphantly.  Show 
me  a  seemingly  humble  man,  who  does  not 
love  duty,  and  I  will  show  you  his  pride  ; 
but  let  me  see  a  truly  humble  man,  and  I 
am  sure  to  find  him  walking  humbly  with  his 
God.    He  walks  with  God,  and  God  walks 


WILLIAM    ROMAINE.  225 

with  him.  Hear  how  he  declares  who  are 
his  favorites !  not  the  rich,  not  the  learned, 
not  the  Pharisee,  not  the  great  and  noble ; 
no,  but  "  to  this  man  will  I  look,  who  is  of 
an  humble  and  contrite  spirit,  and  who  trem- 
bleth  at  my  word."  These  he  honors,  they 
are  in  his  sight  of  great  price  ;  how  exalted 
in  his  esteem,  who  is  the  Fountain  of  all  true 
honor !  and  he  will  exalt  them  very  high. 
He  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted 
to  the  throne  above,  where  all  God's  chil- 
dren are  perfectly  humble,  crying  with  one 
voice,  "  Not  worthy  we,  but  worthy  is  the 
Lamb  !"  If  there  be  so  great  grace,  O  pray 
to  God  to  make  me  more  and  more  humble. 
I  will  do  the  same  for  you,  and  remain  yours, 

W.  R. 


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THOUGHTS  AND  COUNSELS 

FOR  THE  IMPENITENT 
By   the  Rev.  J.  M.  Olmstead. 

ANNALS  OF  THE  POOR. 

Containing  the  "  Dairyman's  Daughter,"  ''The  Young  Cottager,"  "Th» 
Negro  Servant,"  &c.    By  the  Rev.  Legh  Richmond,  A.M 

THE  OLD  WHITE  MEETING-HOUSE 

Or,  Reminiscences  of  a  Country  Congregation. 
LIFE  IN  THE  CITY. 

By  the  Author  of"  The  Old  White  Meeting-Honse." 

JACOB'S  WELL. 

By  the  Rev.  George  Albert  Rogers,  A.M. 

OWEN  GLADDON'S 

WANDERINGS  IN  THE  ISLE  OF  WIGHT. 
By  Old  Humphrey. 

PITHY  PAPERS 

ON  SINGULAR  SUBJECTS.    By  Old  Humphrey. 

ZION.'S  PILGRIM. 

Or,  the  Way  to  the  Heavenly  Canaan.    By  the  Rev.  Robert  Hawker' 
NIGHT  OF  WEEPING. 

Or,  Words  for  the  Suffering  Family  of  God.    By  the  Rev.  Horatiog 
Bonar,  Kelso,  Scotland. 

MOUNT  OF  OLIVES, 

By  the  Rev.  James  Hamilton,  author  of  "  Life  in  Earnest,"  &c. 
MEMOIR  OF  SARAH  MARTIN. 
LUTHER  AND  CALVIN. 

By  D'Aubiguc. 

GOD   IN  THE  STORM. 

By  Rev.  L.  W.  P.  Balch,  Dr.  Beecher,  and  Rev.  Thomas  Smyth,  D.D, 

'glory,  glory,  glory. 

And  other  Narratives.      By  Miss  Banbury. 

THE  MARTYR  LAMB; 

Or,  Christ  the  Representative  of  his  People.    By  Krnmmaoher. 
ELIJAH  THE  TISHBITE. 

By  F.  W.  Krummacher. 

6 


K.  CARTER'S  PUBLICATIONS 


THE  FAMILY  OF  BETHANY. 

By  L.  Bonnet.    With  an  Essay,  by  the  Rev.  Hugh  White.    Fourth  Ed; 
THE  RETROSPECT; 
By  Aliquis.    Third  American  from  the  eighteenth  London  Edition 
MCCRIE  ON  ESTHER. 
A  TREATISE  ON  PRAYER. 
By  the  Rev.  Edward  Bickersteth. 
MICHAEU  KEMP, 
The  Happy  Farmer's  Lad.    By  Anno  WoodroofFo.    Third  Edition. 

COMFORT  IN  AFFLICTION. 
By  the  Rev.  James  Buchanan.    From  the  ninth  Edinburgh  Edition. 
LIGHTS  &  SHADOWS  OF  SCOTTISH  LIFE. 
By  Professor  Wilson.  ISmo. 
MEMOIR  OF  MARY  LUNDIE  DUNCAN. 
Second  American  Edition.  18mo. 
PRACTICAL  REFLECTIONS 
On  the  Second  Advent.    By  the  Rev.  Hugh  White,  A.M.  18mo. 
PERSUASIVES  TO  EARLY  PIETY. 
By  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Pike. 
DODDRIDGE'S   RISE  AND  PROGRESS. 

THE  COTTAGE  FIRESIDE; 
Or,  the  Parish  Schoohnaster.    By  the  Rev.  Henry  Duncan,  D.D. 
THE  CHRISTIAN  CONTEMPLATED, 
In  a  Course  of  Lectures  delivered  in  the  Argyle  Chapel  Bath.    By  Rev 
William  Jay.    New  Edition. 
WORKS  OF  REV.  HENRY  SCOUGAL. 
CHRISTIAN  FRAGMENTS. 
By  John  Burns,  M.D.,  F.R.S. 
CHRISTIAN  FATHER  AT  HOME; 
Or,  a  Manual  of  Parental  Instruction.    By  W.  C.  Brownlee,  D.D 
A  GLIMPSE  INTO 
■  THE  WORLD  TO  COME, 
In  a  Waking  Dream.     By  the  laic  George  B.  Phillips. 
A  MESSAGE  FROM  GOD, 
To  thinking  Men.    By  Rov.  John  Cummings. 
,    THE  LIFE  OF  COL.  GARDINER. 
By  Dr.  DoddiHdgc. 
HENRY  ON  PRAYER. 
BOGATZKY'S  GOLDEN  TREASURY. 
SERLES'   CHRISTIAN  REMEMBRANCER. 

A  CONCISE  SYSTEM   OF  THEOLOGY. 
Being  the  Shorter  Catechism  of  the  Westminster  Assembly  of  Divines,- 
analyzed  and  explained.     By  Alexander  S.  Paterson,  A.M. 

7 


n.  carter's  publications. 


THE  MARTYRS  AND  COVENANTERS 

OF  SCOTLAND. 
THE  HISTORY,  MANNERSAND  CUSTOMS 

Of  the  Indians  of  North  America.  Illustrated. 
TALES  OF  THE  SCOTTISH  PEASANTRY. 
By  the  Rev.  Henry  Duncan,  D.D.,  and  others. 
OLD  HUMPHREY'S  PLEASANT  TALES. 
MEDITATIONS  ON  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

By  the  Rev.  L.  Bonnet,  author  of  the  "Family  of  Bethany." 
JANE  TAYLOR'S  CONTRIBUTIONS  OF  Q.  Q.    2  vols. 
MEMOIRS  AND  CORRESPONDENCE. 
ORIGINAL  POEMS. 
DISPLAY.    A  Tale. 
MOTHER  AND  DAUGHTER. 
ESSAYS  IN  RHYME. 
THE  SCRIPTURE   READER'S  GUIDE. 
By  Caroline  Fry,  Author  of  the  "Listener,"  "Sabbath  Musings.' 
THE  PLEASANTNESS  OF  A  RELIGIOUS 
LIFE. 
By  the  Rev.  Matthew?  Henry. 
THANKFULNESS,  AND  OTHER  ESSAYS. 
By  the  Rev.  James  Hamilton,  Author  of  "  Life  in  Earnest,"  Sec. 
LIFE  OF  BISHOP  HALL. 

By  the  Rev.  James  Hamilton. 
THE  FORCE  OF  TRUTH. 
By  the  Rev.  Thomas  Scott. 
LIFE  OF  REV.  V\^ILLIAM  TENNENT. 
PEACE  IN  BELIEVING. 
By  the  Rev.  Walter  McGillvray. 
LOSS  OF  THE  BRIG  AUSTRALIA  BY  FIRE, 
On  her  Voyage  from  Leitli  to  Sidney.    Edited  by  J.  R.  McGavin. 
MY  YOUTHFUL  COMPANIONS. 
By  the  author  of  "  My  School-Boy  Days.'  , 
INFANT  PIETY. 
A  Book  for  Little  Children.     By  Baptist  W.  Noel,  M.  A. 
A  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  HUSS. 
POLLOK'S  HELEN  OF  THE  GLEN. 
PERSECUTED  FAMILY. 
RALPH  GEMMELL. 

JESSY  ALLAN,  THE  LAME  GIRL. 

By  Grace  Kennedy,  Author  of  "Anna  Roes,"  &c. 
THE  SINNER'S  FRIEND. 
ANECDOTES   ON    SHORTER  CATECHISM. 
DECAPOLIS. 

By  the  Rev.  D.  E.  Ford. 


R.  CARTER'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  D.  UOCKWOOD. 

Bein^  Reminiscences  of  a  Son  by  his  Father 
"A  gifted  mind  and  cultivated  powers,  hallowed  and  controlled  by  a  sweet  and 
trustful  pio'.y ;  the  simplicity  of  childhood  mingled  with  the  seriousness  and  discre- 
tion of  mature  age, — we  aro  sure  no  one  could  watch  his  brief  career,  terminating  in 
a  death,  though  sudden,  not  unprepared  for,  without  deep  iuterest.  We  have  read 
it  with  unmiogled  pleasure  and  profit." — N.  Y.  Evangelist. 

PERFECT  PEACE. 

Letters  Memorial  of  John  Warren  Howell,  Esq,,  of  Bath,  M.  R.  C.  S. 
By  the  Rev.  David  Pitcairn.    With  an  Introduction  by  the  Rev.  John 
Stevenson,  author  of  "  Christ  on  the  Cross,"  "  The  Lord  our  Shepherd 
&c. 

PROFESSION  IS  NOT  PRINCIPLE; 

Or  the  Name  of  Christian  is  not  Christianity.  By  Grace  Kennedy,  authoi 
of  "Jessy  Allan,"  "Anna  Ross,"  &c. 

QOSPEL  PROMISES. 

Being  a  Short  View  of  the  Great  and  Precious  Promises  of  the  Gospel. 
By  the  Rev.  Joseph  Alleine,  author  of  "  An  Alarm  to  the  Unconvert« 
ed,"  &c. 

LIFE  IN  EARNEST. 

Six  Lectures  on  Christian  Activity  and  Ardour.  By  the  Rev.  Jame 
Hamilton,  author  of  "  Harp  on  the  Willows,"  &c. 

MY  GRANDMAMMA  GILBERT. 

By  Old  Humphrey. 

MY  GRANDFATHER  GREGORY. 

By  Old  Humphrey. 

MEMOIR  OF  HANNAH  SINCLAIR. 

By  the  late  Rev.  Legh  Richmond,    From  the  nineteenth  London  Editioiw 
TRUE  HAPPINESS; 

Or,  the  ExccUenco  and  Power  of  Early  Religion.  By  J.  G.  Pike,  author 
of  "  Persuasives  to  Early  Piety,"  &c.    Second  Edition. 

CHARLIE  SEYMOUR; 

Or,  the  Good  Aunt  and  the  Bad  Aunt.  By  Miss  Catharine  Sinclair  au- 
thor  of  "  Modern  Accomplishments,"  &c.    Third  Edition. 

LIVE  WHILE  YOU  LIVE. 

By  the  Rev.  Thomas  Griffith,  A.M.,  Minister  of  Ram's  Episcopal  Church, 
Homerton. 

CROOK  IN  THE  LOT; 

Or,  a  Display  of  the  Sovereignty  and  Wisdom  of  God  in  the  Afflictions  ofl 
Men,  and  the  Christian's  Deportment  under  them.  By  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Boston. 

A  TRIBUTE  OF  PARENTAL  AFFECTION 

To  the  Memory  of  my  beloved  and  only  Daughter,  Hannah  Jerram,  with 
a  Short  Account  of  the  last  Illness  and  Death  of  her  elder  Brother, 
Charles  Stranger  Jerram.     By  the  Rev.  Charles  Jerram,  A.  M., 
Vicar  of  Cobhani,  Surrey.    From  the  fifth  London  Edition. 
9 


K.  CARTE  RS  PUBLICATIONS. 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER. 

Bickersteth's  Treatise  on  tlje  Lord's  Supper.    Witli  an  Introduction 
Notes,  and  an  Essay.    By  G.  T.  Bedell,  D  D.    Fifth  Edition. 

COMMUNICANT'S  COMPANION. 

By  the  Rov.  Matthew  Henvy.    With  an  Introductory  Essay,  by  the  Bev 
John  Brown  of  Edinburgh. 

BAXTER'S  CALL. 

Now  or  Never,  &c.    With  an  Introductory  Essay,  by  Dr.  Chalmen. 
REUIGION  AND  ETERNAL  LIFEj 

Or,  Irreligion  and  Eternal  Death.    By  J.  G.  Pike. 
THE   FARMER'S  DAUGHTER. 
A  Tale.    By  Mrs.  Cameron. 
LIFE  OF  REV.  JOHN  NEWTON. 

Written  by  himself,  and  continued  to  his  Death.   By  the  Rev.  Rich.  CeciL 

THE  HARP  ON  THE  WILLOWS. 
Remembering  Zion,  Farewell  to  E-ypt,  Tl.e  Church  in  tlie  House,  Th» 

Dew  of  Hcrmon,  and  the  Destination  of  the  Jews.    By  the  Rev  Jm. 

Hamilton,  of  London.    From  the  forty-fifth  London  Edition 

SABBATH  MUSINGS. 

By  Caroline  Fiy. 
HERVEY'S  MEDITATIONS 

AND  CONTE.MPLATIONS. 
New  Edition. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  REFORMATION 

IN  EUROPE. 
With  a  Chronolop-y. 
MY  SCHOOL-BOY  DAYS. 

SORROWING,  YET  REJOICING. 

Or  a  Narrative  of  Successive  BerciivcmcMts  in  a  Clersyman's  Family. 
DIVINE  ORIGIN    OF  CHRISTIANITY. 
By  J.G.  Pike,  author  of  "  True  Hnppinoss."  &c.,  Szc. 
A  WORLD   WITHOUT  SOULS. 
By.T.  W.  Cunningham,  A.M.,  Vioar  of  Hanow. 
THE  WORLD'S  RELIGION. 
As  contrasted  with  genuine  Christianity,  by  Lady  Colquhoun. 
ADVICE  TO  A  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN, 
On  the  inportance  of  uiniitie  at  an  elevated  stond:ird  of  ].icty.    By  a  Village 
Pastor,  with  an  Introduction  by  Rev.  Dr.  Alextinder,  of  Princeton,  N.  J 
CHRISTIAN  EXPERIENCE. 
By  the  Author  of  "  Christian  Reiireraent." 

10 


R.    CARTER    S  PUBLICATIONS. 


WORKS  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN  NEWTON, 

Containing  an  Authentic  Narrative,  &c.;  Letters;  Sermons;  Hymns  j 
Poems ;  and  Tracts.    To  which  are  prefixed  Memoirs  of  his  Life, 
by  the  Rev.  Richard  Cecil,  A.M.    2  vols.,  8vo.    $2  50. 
WORKS  OF  THE  REV.  RICHARD  CECIL. 
3  vols.,  12mo.    $2.    Contents:  Vol.1.  Sermons;  Vol.11.  Miscella- 
nies ;  Vol.  III.  Remains. 
CHRISTIAN  RETIREMENT; 
Or,  the  Spiritual  Exercises  of  the  Heart.    By  tlie  author  of  "  Chris- 
tiau  Experience."  12mo. 
THE  LIFE  AND  POWER  OF  TRUE 
QODLI  N  ESS. 
By  the  Rev.  Alexander  McLeod,  D.D.  12mo. 
THE  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD. 
An  Exposition  of  the  Twenty-Second  Psalm.    By  the  Rev.  John 
Stevenson,  author  of  "  Christ  on  the  Cross."  12mo. 
HAWKER'S 

POOR  MAN'S  MORNING  PORTION. 
BELCHER'S  SCRIPTURE  NARRATIVES. 

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MASON'S  ESSAY  ON  EPISCOPACY.   50  cents. 
ESSAYS  ON  THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD. 

By  the  late  John  M.  Mason,  D.D.    1  vol.,  12mo.    50  cents. 
A  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  GALATIANS. 
By  Martin  Luther.    A  New  Edition,  on  fine  paper  and  beautiful 
large  type.    1  vol.,  8vo.    Only  |1  50. 
BROWNLEE'S 
CHRISTIAN  YOUTH'S  BOOK. 

WORKS  BY  THE 
REV.  JOHN  A.  CLARK,  D.  D., 
Late  Rector  of  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Philadelphia. 
A  WALK  ABOUT  ZION. 
Revised  and  Eidarged.    Fifth  Edition.    12mo.     Two  Steel  En- 
gravings. 
THE  PASTOR'S  TESTIMONY. 
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THE  YOUNG  DISCIPLE  ; 
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GATHERED  FRAGMENTS. 
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AWAKE,  THOU  SLEEPER! 
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Containing  Analogy  of  Religion,  Dissertations,  Sermons,  &c.  To 
which  is  prefixed  an  Account  of  tlie  Character  and  Writings  of  the 
Author.    By  Dr.  Halifax.    1  vol.,  8vo. 
11 


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JAY'S  MORNING  EXERCISES 

For  the  Closet,  for  Every  Day  in  the  Year.    New  Edition.  12rao. 
JAY'S  EVENING  EXERCISES 
For  the  Closet,  for  Every  Day  in  the  Year.    New  Edi  on.    12nuo.  Vwi- 
form  with  tho  Morning  Exercises. 

DAV  D'S   PSALMS.    48mo.  gilt. 

Do.  do.  With  Brown's  Notes.  18mo. 

XHE    INQUIRER  DIRECTED 

To  an  Experimental  and  Practical  View  of  the  \Vork  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
By  Bev.  Octavius  Winslow.    1  vol.  12mo. 

CHRIST  OUR  LAW. 

By  Miss  Caroline  Fry.  Author  of  "  The  Listener,"  "  Christ  our  Exam- 
ple," &C.    1  vol.  12mo.    Second  Edition. 

LIFE,  WALK  AND  TRIUMPH  OF  FAITH. 

By  the  Rev.  W.  Eomaine,  A.M.  12mo.  New  Edition.  Musiin 
KEY  TO  THE  SHORTER  CATECHISM, 

Containing  Catechetical  Exercises,  a  Paraphrase,  and  a  uev/  Series  of 
Proofs  on  each  Question.    New  Edition.  ISmo. 

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ALLEINE'S  LIFE  AND  LETTERS.  12mo 
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